A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>
Date: Wed 8 Oct 2014
Source: International Sugar Journal [edited]
<http://www.agra-net.com/portal2/isj/home.jsp?template=newsarticle&artid=20018118676&pubid=ag043
Sugar beet disease stemphylium arrives in UK
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The 1st UK incidence of sugar beet disease stemphylium has been identified in a beet field in Norfolk [east England].
Stemphylium is a new leaf disease which was first identified in the Netherlands in 2007 and is a disease the British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO) has been watching very closely since its initial identification in mainland Europe. In the Netherlands, its occurrence has grown steadily year-on-year and is now found across the country.
-
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Stemphylium leaf spot (SLS) on sugar beet is caused by one or several fungal species in the genus _Stemphylium_. SLS has been spreading rapidly in the Netherlands since 2007 with reported sugar yield losses of up to 50 percent. An average of 20 percent of crops have been affected in different parts of the Netherlands in 2012, but the species involved is yet to be determined. SLS symptoms may include irregular, small, bright yellow spots on leaves which enlarge and turn necrotic from the centre outwards, eventually resulting in necrosis of the whole leaf. The plant's attempt to replace lost foliage by continually forming new leaves leads to serious loss of plant vigour accompanied by reduction of sugar production in the root. The disease is favoured by humid conditions and often starts as a patch in a field. Additional stress factors (environment, other pathogens) are suspected to increase host sensitivity to infection.
The fungi are spread with contaminated plant and soil material, water, and by mechanical means. Work is still in progress to determine possible alternate hosts which may serve as pathogen reservoirs. In the Netherlands, fungicides so far approved for use on sugar beet in Europe have been found to be of little use in SLS disease management, however, some fungicides approved for other crops appear to provide some protection. Information on possible resistance levels of different beet cultivars is not yet available.
An undiagnosed disease of sugar beet was reported from the UK in 2013 (ProMED-mail post 20130522.1730468), but it is not clear whether there is any connection of that report and SLS.
Other species in the genus are associated with blights or rotting diseases in a range of crops, such as onion (leaf blight, stem rot) and apple (core rot).
Maps
UK:
<http://healthmap.org/promed/p/3035>,
(with counties):
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/europe/united_kingdom.gif> and <http://www.picturesofengland.com/images/mapofengland/england-counties.gif>
Europe, overview:
<http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_MAPS/0_map_europe_political_2001_enlarged.jpg>
Pictures
SLS on sugar beet:
<http://schaeden.rheinmedia.de/grafiken/klein/Stemphylium_3.jpg>,
<http://schaeden.rheinmedia.de/grafiken/klein/Stemphylium_1.jpg>, and <https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ByzKjvTIYAIITLN.jpg:large>
SLS affected beet field:
<http://www.bieten.nl/portaal/Portals/0/2013,%20Stemphylium,%20aantasting,%20perceel%201%20%28IRS%29.jpg>
SLS on spinach:
<http://mtvernon.wsu.edu/path_team/Thumbnails/spinach-stemphylium-leaf-spot-2.jpg>
Links
Additional news story:
<http://www.farmersguardian.com/arable-farming/first-case-of-stemphylium-identified-in-uk-sugar-beet/67564.article>
Information on SLS of sugar beet:
<http://www.irs.nl/userfiles/publicaties/algemeen/13P01_Research_on_Stemphylium_spp_-_2012.pdf>,
<http://schaeden.rheinmedia.de/cgi-bin/schaedlinge_details.cgi?funktion=druckansicht&id=165&sprache=gb&partner=bs>
(with pictures),
<http://eurekamag.com/research/001/466/001466272.php>, and via <http://www.britishsugarmail.co.uk/LZ/Instances/lz/documents/Agriculture/BBRO/BSBR%20Summer%202014%20Foliar%20Diseases.pdf>
Sugar beet SLS in Netherlands:
<http://www.knpv.org/db/upload/documents/najaar_2013/Hanse-52-Stemphylium_-KNPV_najaarsverg_Wageningen_26112013pdf.pdf>
and
<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-06/dutch-sugar-beets-show-leaf-yellowing-after-wet-summer.html>
_Stemphylium_ taxonomy and species list via:
<http://www.indexfungorum.org/names/Names.asp>
British Beet Research Organisation:
<http://www.bbro.co.uk/>
- Mod.DHA]
[See Also:
2013
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Undiagnosed disease, sugar beet - UK: (England) 20130522.1730468
2009
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Fungal blight, onion - India: (MH) 20090103.0024
2005
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Apple core rot - India (Himachal Pradesh) 20050808.2313]
Topics
Species
