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Grassy‐shoot, a New Disease of Lemongrass Caused by Balansia sclerotica (Pat.) Hohnel
Author(s) -
Janardhanan K. K.,
Ahmad Absar,
Gupta Motilal,
Husain Akhtar
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of phytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.53
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1439-0434
pISSN - 0931-1785
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0434.1991.tb00149.x
Subject(s) - biology , inflorescence , mycelium , inoculation , shoot , botany , pathogenicity , pathogen , meristem , plant stem , host (biology) , horticulture , microbiology and biotechnology , ecology
A new disease of lemongrass ( Cymbopogon flexuosus ) caused by Balansia sclerotica was observed in India. The systemic infection induced deformed inflorescences and grassy‐shoot symptoms as a result of inhibition of growth of axillary buds and shortening of internodes. A number of ascostromata of the pathogen were produced on inflorescences of infected plants. Microscopic examination of infected host tissue revealed the presence of abundant endophytic mycelia. B. sclerotica was isolated from ascostromata and apical meristems of infected plants and its pathogenicity to lemongrass was experimentally established in three out of eighty‐two seedlings raised from seeds of inoculated plants. This report is one of the rare achievements in establishing the pathogenicity of fungal endophytes experimentally.