New branch disease of Styphnolobium japonicum caused by Fusarium solani in Xinjiang of China

Abstract

Styphnolobium japonicum (L.) Schott is a deciduous tree belonging to family Fabaceae and has been widely planted as garden greenery in China. In May 2021, a serious branch canker disease was observed in Alaer City. In order to identify the pathogen, five fungi were isolated from the diseased branches and the pathogenicity was evaluated by inoculating the branches outdoors. The pathogen was re-isolated from all the inoculated branches, therefore fulfilling Koch's postulates. Based on the morphological characteristic and polygenetic analysis using the internal transcribed spacer region, β-tubulin and the translation elongation factor 1-alpha, the pathogen was identified as Fusarium solani. This is the first report of F. solani as the causal agent of a branch canker of S. japonicum in Xinjiang of China.