Gummy stem blight: One disease, three pathogens

Gummy stem blight (GSB) is a major disease of cucurbits worldwide. It is caused by three fungal species that are morphologically identical and have overlapping geographic and host ranges. Controlling GSB is challenging due to the lack of resistant cultivars and the pathogens' significant ability to develop resistance to systemic fungicides. The causal agent of GSB is recognized as a complex of three phylogenetically distinct species belonging to domain Eukaryota, kingdom Fungi, phylum Ascomycota, subphylum Pezizomycotina, class Dothideomycetes, subclass Pleosporomycetida, order Pleosporales, family Didymellaceae, genus Stagonosporopsis, species cucurbitacearum, citrulli, and caricae. Pycnidia are tan with dark rings of cells around the ostiole measuring 120-180 mu m in diameter. Conidia are 6-13 mu m long, hyaline, cylindrical with round ends, and non- or monoseptate. Pseudothecia are black and globose in shape and have a diameter of 125-213 mu m. Ascospores are 14-18 x 4-6 mu m long, hyaline, ellipsoidal with round ends, and monoseptate with a distinct constriction at the septum. Eight ascospores are found per ascus. The upper end of the apical cell is pointed, whereas the lower end of the bottom cell is blunt. Species-specific PCR primers that can be used in a multiplex conventional PCR assay are available. The GSB species complex is pathogenic to 37 species of cucurbits from 21 different genera. S. cucurbitacearum and S. citrulli are specific to cucurbits, while S. caricae is also pathogenic to papaya and babaco-mirim (Vasconcellea monoica), a related fruit. Under favourable environmental conditions, symptoms can appear 3-12 days after spore germination. Leaf spots often start at the leaf margin or extend to the margins. Spots expand and coalesce, resulting in leaf blighting. Active lesions are typically water-soaked. Cankers are observed on crowns, main stems, and vines. Red to amber gummy exudates are often seen on the stems after cankers develop on cortical tissue.