First Report of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum Causing Sclerotinia Rot on Ixeridium dentatum in Korea

Sclerotinia rot was observed on Ixeridium dentatum cultivated as a succeeding crop in a garlic field in Seosan-si, Korea during the growing season in 2016 and 2017. Symptoms progressed from the initial irregular, water-soaked spots on main stems to wilting and eventually to plant death. White, cottony mycelia and black, irregular sclerotia formed on the basal stem and on soil surfaces. The optimal temperature of hyphal growth and sclerotia germination were 20°C and 25°C, respectively. Sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions revealed that the three strains isolated from Ixeridium dentatum are grouped with Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Three strains were identified as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum based on morphological features, ITS sequence, and pathogenicity test. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first report of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causing sclerotinia rot on Ixeridium dentatum in Korea.