Factors Affecting Spore Formation of Carrot Leaf Blight Caused by Alternaria dauci In Vitro

In order to examine the pathogenicity of Alternaria dauci, the causal agent of carrot leaf blight, it is necessary to standardize sporulation conditions to ensure the optimal quantity and quality of spore inoculum. Therefore, in this study, the effects of the growth medium, aeration treatment, and UV treatment with 12-hr photoperiod on the sporulation of A. dauci KACC42997 were investigated. A. dauci KACC42997 was pre-cultured for 7 days in a potato dextrose agar medium at 25oC in the dark condition. When the pre-culture, after removing aerial mycelia, was re-incubated for 5 days, with simultaneous aeration treatment and 12-hr cycle UV treatment at 20oC, the largest number of spores was produced. One hundred seventy isolates of A. dauci were isolated from major carrot growing regions such as Pyeongchang, Gumi and Jeju and tested for sporulation under the conditions established in this study. Except for 20 strains, all strains produced spores. Statistically significant differences in the extent of sporulation were found among local populations of A. dauci isolates, but no difference was observed in their pathogenicity on carrots.