Alternaria solani Causing Leaf Blight Disease on Aster glehni in Korea

Abstract

Aster glehni Franchet et Schmidt is a compositae plant and has been known as a nativespecie in Ulleung Island, Korea. It is officially recognized as a regional specialty that growsonly in this region. In 2014, brown and dark spots were observed on aster leaves in a forestresearch field, Jinju, Korea. A causal agent was isolated from the disease symptomatic leavesand identified as fungus Alternaria solani. Fungal morphological characteristics and molecularidentification with internal transcribed spacer sequences were synchronized as A. solani. Theisolated fungi reproduced the same disease symptoms when the fungus was artificially inoculatedon healthy aster leaves. This is the first report that A. solani caused leaf blight disease in Asterglehni in Korea.