Distribution, Incidence and Severity of the Catalpa Powdery Mildew Caused by Erysiphe elevata in North-Eastern Romania

Erysiphe elevata is a North American fungus that causes the powdery mildew of Catalpa species. The present study brings new data on the spread of this species in Romania, and given its invasiveness in Europe, the study evaluates the incidence and intensity of the powdery mildew caused to Catalpa bignonioides (Southern catalpa). In 2017, 12 North-Estern Romanian cities where C. bignonioides had been planted in green spaces were investigated. The results have shown that the pathogen is widespread in the North-Estern part of Romania, accompanying the host plant in all of the localities investigated. In addition, the high frequency of the disease, confirms the invasiveness of E. elevata, most affected being the trees that were planted along streets and in public squares. A specimen of E. elevata was sequenced and the BLAST results revealed that it is identical to samples from France and Korea.