Punica granatum: A New Host of Bipolaris spicifera in Morocco

Abstract

During March 2009 in the public gardens and the University of Sciences of Kenitra city (Morocco), 60% of leaves of 100 plants of pomegranate (Punica granatum L. ’Nana’) presented foliar lesions that affecting the aesthetic appearance of this ornamental plant. Bipolaris spicifera was isolated from ten necrotic lesions of 25 leaves. The artificial inoculation of the healthy leaves of three plants of Punica granatum L. ’Nana’ by conidial suspension of the pathogen induced the same lesions to that observed in nature. The diseased foliar surface and the total number of diseased leaves 30 days after inoculation with B. spicifera conidial suspension were 37.5% and 78. Conidia production of B. spicifera on inoculated leaves was 0.81 x 105 spore cm-2 and the fungus was re-isolated from lesions on inoculated plants. This is the first report of B. spicifera on pomegranate in Morocco.