Identification and Pathogenicity of Paramyrothecium Species Associated with Leaf Spot Disease in Northern Thailand

Species of Paramyrothecium that are reported as plant pathogens and cause leaf spot or leaf blight have been reported on many commercial crops worldwide. In 2019, during a survey of fungi causing leaf spots on plants in Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son provinces, northern Thailand, 16 isolates from 14 host species across nine plant families were collected. A new species Paramyrothecium vignicola sp. nov. was identified based on morphology and concatenated (ITS, cmdA, rpb2, and tub2) phylogeny. Further, P. breviseta and P. foliicola represented novel geographic records to Thailand, while P. eichhorniae represented a novel host record (Psophocarpus sp., Centrosema sp., Aristolochia sp.). These species were confirmed to be the causal agents of the leaf spot disease through pathogenicity assay. Furthermore, cross pathogenicity tests on Coffea arabica L., Commelina benghalensis L., Glycine max (L.) Merr., and Dieffenbachia seguine (Jacq.) Schott revealed multiple host ranges for these pathogens. Further research is required into the host-pathogen relationship of Paramyrothecium species that cause leaf spot and their management. Biotic and abiotic stresses caused by climate change may affect plant health and disease susceptibility. Hence, proper identification and monitoring of fungal communities in the environment are important to understand emerging diseases and for implementation of disease management strategies.