First report of Alternaria brassicicola causing leaf spots on garlic, an important food and medicinal plant

Timely reporting new pathogens in an area is very important to design crop cultivation strategies. Current study describes the attack of Alternaria brassicicola over garlic, an important food and medicinal plant in Punjab, Pakistan. Pathogen was successfully isolated over artificial fungal growth medium and its microscopic characteristics were studied morphologically. Its identification was confirmed by targeting ribosomal DNA (ribotyping) prior to its submission in Fungal Culture Bank of Pakistan (FCBP). The isolated pathogen was tested for its pathogenicity under greenhouse conditions. Furthermore, the phylogenetic homology of the pathogen was checked with previously reported fungal isolates. The study was preceded according to the design and requirements of Koch’s postulates; and the pathogenicity of the isolated fungal species was confirmed.