First report of Phoma leaf spot disease on cherry palm caused by Phoma herbarum in Thailand

Abstract

© 2016 The Canadian Phytopathological Society. A leaf spot disease caused by Phoma herbarum was observed in a plantation of cherry palm (Pseudophoenix sargentii) in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. The fungus was isolated from lesions on leaves and pathogenicity tests showed that Ph. herbarum could infect P. sargentii, producing the same symptoms after inoculation as those observed naturally in the field. The fungus was identified based on morphological characteristics and confirmed using comparisons of DNA sequences of internal transcribed spacer (ITS)1, 2 and 5.8S rDNA. This is the first report of this disease on cherry palm.