First report of leaf spot caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alternaria alternata</Emphasis> on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drimia maritima</Emphasis>

Drimia maritima (squill) is a historically important medicinal plant. During the spring of 2016, small, yellow leaf spots, which became brown and finally necrotic, were observed on squill plants in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Provinces in Iran. A fungus was consistently isolated from infected leaves and identified as Alternaria alternata based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses. Pathogenicity tests confirmed A. alternata to be the causal agent of the newly observed leaf spot disease. This is the first report of leaf spot on D. maritima caused by A. alternata in the world.     

Multi-resistance to thiophanate-methyl,diethofencarb, and procymidone among <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alternaria alternata</Emphasis> populations from tobacco plants,and the management of tobacco brown spot with azoxystrobin

In 2014 and 2015, a total of 151 tobacco brown spot (Alternaria alternata) isolates were collected from Guizhou Province in China to evaluate their resistance to the benzimidazole thiophanate-methyl, the carbamate diethofencarb, and the dicarboximide procymidone. Resistance to thiophanate-methyl and diethofencarb was observed in all isolates. Resistance to all the three fungicides, thiophanate-methyl, diethofencarb, and procymidone was detected at a frequency of 6.0%. The F167Y single mutation in the β-tubulin gene was found to be associated with resistance to thiophanate-methyl,but no mutation was found in the coiled-coil region of the histidine kinase-encoding gene OS1, a fungal gene for dicarboximide resistance. Procymidone applied at the rate of 20 mg l^?1 inhibited spot lesion formation on tobacco leaves with an efficacy of 51.7% for the low resistance (LR) isolates and 74.2% for the procymidone-sensitive isolates. Thiophanate-methyl applied at 100 mg l^?1, however, slightly promoted the expansion of disease lesions with an efficacy of ?7.7%. Azoxystrobin applied at 10 and 20 mg l^?1 provided efficacies of 91.1 and 100%, respectively, regardless of whether the isolates were thiophanate-methyl resistant or procymidone-LR. Further studies suggested that azoxystrobin exhibited excellent protective activity and good curative activity against A. alternata in plants. The baseline sensitivity to azoxystrobin was then determined. In the presence SHAM, the mean EC₅₀ values for conidial germination inhibition were 0.49?±?0.22 (Mean?±?SD) mg l^?1. Interestingly, no resistance was recovered through UV irradiation or Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated mutagenesis. This research indicated widespread resistance to thiophanate-methyl and diethofencarb, low frequency of (6.0%) resistance to procymidone in A. alternata populations from tobacco, and suggested that azoxystrobin could potentially constitute a good alternative for the management of tobacco brown spot disease.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Alternaria alternata</Emphasis>: A new seed-transmitted disease of coriander in South Africa

This is the first report of Alternaria leaf spot disease on coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) in South Africa. Using the agar plate method, Alternaria alternata was isolated from coriander seed lots together with four other fungal genera, which included Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium and Rhizopus. Standard seed germination tests of coriander seed lots infected with seed-borne mycoflora showed a positive correlation with the number of diseased seedlings (r?=?0.239, p?<?0.01). Pathogenicity tests demonstrated that this seed-borne A. alternata was pathogenic on coriander and symptoms on leaves first appeared as small, dark brown to black, circular lesions (<5 mm diam.) that enlarged and coalesced to form dark brown blotches as time progressed. Leaf spot disease was most severe (64%) on wounded leaves inoculated with A. alternata. Re-isolation of A. alternata from diseased coriander plants satisfied the Koch’s postulates, thus confirming it as the causal agent of Alternaria leaf spot disease. Parsimony analysis based on rpb2 (GenBank Accession No. KT895947), gapdh (KT895949) and tef-1α (KT895945) sequences confirmed identity of the Alternaria isolate, which grouped within the A. alternata clade. Alternaria alternata was shown to be transmitted from infected coriander seed to the developing plants.     

Pathogenic variation of Alternaria species associated with leaf blotch and fruit spot of apple in Australia

Four Alternaria species groups (A. longipes, A. arborescens, A. alternata/A. tenuissima and A. tenuissima/A. mali) are associated with leaf blotch and fruit spot of apple in Australia. There is no information on the variability of pathogenicity among the species and isolates within each species causing leaf blotch or fruit spot. We used a detached leaf assay and an in planta fruit inoculation assay to determine the pathogenicity and virulence of the four Alternaria species. Our results showed that isolates within the same species were not specific to either leaf or fruit tissue and showed great variability in pathogenicity and virulence, indicating cross-pathogenicity, which may be isolate dependent rather than species dependent. Generally, virulence of A. tenuissima and A. alternata isolates on leaf and fruit was higher than other species. Isolates of all species groups were pathogenic on leaves of different cultivars, but pathogenicity on fruit of different cultivars varied among isolates and species. Implications of our findings on prevalence of the diseases in different apple-producing regions in Australia and the development of targeted disease management of the diseases are discussed.     

Narrow sense heritability estimates of bacterial leaf spot resistance in pseudo F2 (F1) population of mulberry (Morus spp.)

Bacterial leaf spot incited by Xanthomonas campestris pv. mori is a devastating foliar disease of mulberry reported globally. Host plant resistance is the most sustainable and economic control measure but so far unexplored. Highly heterozygous plant behaviour and scant genetic information of bacterial leaf spot resistance limits a targetted breeding approach in mulberry. In the present research eight pseudo-F₂(F₁)full-sib progenies derived from selected resistant and susceptible sources were evaluated symptomatically for bacterial leaf spot resistance under natural disease occurrence in 2008 and 2009. Significant variation for bacterial leaf spot resistance was observed in the parents and progenies. Broad sense heritability estimate (0.9) indicates that selection of resistant genotypes can be useful for exploitation in future advanced breeding programs for mulberry. High narrow sense heritability estimates (0.76)[2008] and (0.79)[2009] suggest additive gene effects for the disease resistant trait. The continuous frequency distribution of diseases severity across the progenies indicates that bacterial leaf spot resistance in mulberry may be inherited quantitatively.     

烟草赤星病菌对苯醚甲环唑和氟环唑敏感性测定及田间防效试验

为明确山东省主要烟草产区烟草赤星病菌Alternaria alternata对苯醚甲环唑和氟环唑的敏感性,采用菌丝生长速率法检测苯醚甲环唑和氟环唑对86株烟草赤星病菌菌株的EC_(50),用Spearman’s秩相关系数法分析供试菌株对2种杀菌剂敏感性的相关性,并评价其对烟草赤星病的田间防效。结果表明,苯醚甲环唑对烟草赤星病菌菌丝生长EC_(50)值介于5.3883～8.0316 mg/L之间,平均值为6.9594 mg/L,敏感性频率分布呈连续性偏正态分布,田间烟草赤星病菌对苯醚甲环唑仍然较为敏感,可建立田间烟草赤星病菌对苯醚甲环唑的敏感基线。氟环唑对烟草赤星病菌菌丝生长的EC_(50)值介于0.1253～0.2517 mg/L,平均值为0.1773 mg/L,敏感性频率分布呈连续性偏正态分布,可建立田间烟草赤星病菌对氟环唑的敏感基线。相关性分析结果表明,烟草赤星病菌对苯醚甲环唑和氟环唑敏感性之间不存在明显的相关性。田间试验结果表明,30%苯醚甲环唑悬浮剂对烟草赤星病具有较好的防效,其有效成分150 g/hm~2处理的防效最高,为73.99%;12.5%氟环唑悬浮剂对烟草赤星病的最高防效为70.57%。表明2种三唑类杀菌剂对烟草赤星病防效较好。     

白术黑斑病菌对甲基硫菌灵和腐霉利的抗性检测及对咪鲜胺敏感性基线的建立

黑斑病是影响白术种植的主要病害之一,2015—2017年从浙江省磐安、天台、新昌和嵊州4地采集、分离得到137株白术黑斑病菌Alternaria alternata,采用菌丝生长速率法检测其对甲基硫菌灵和腐霉利的抗性。结果表明:供试的黑斑病菌群体 (n = 137) 对甲基硫菌灵的高水平抗性频率为77.4%,中等水平抗性频率为22.6%,未检测到敏感菌株;对腐霉利的抗性频率为20.4%,含21株低水平抗性菌株和7株中等水平抗性菌株。7种杀菌剂的室内毒力测定结果表明:咪鲜胺对白术黑斑病菌的活性最高,EC₅₀值为0.15 mg/L。供试的137株白术黑斑病菌对咪鲜胺的EC₅₀值分布在0.05~0.87 mg/L之间,平均EC₅₀值为 (0.29 ± 0.11) mg/L,可作为敏感性基线。     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Alternaria alternata</Emphasis> apple pathotype (<Emphasis Type="Italic">A. mali</Emphasis>) causes black spot of European pear

A disease caused by Alternaria alternata occurred on the leaves of European pear cultivar Le Lectier in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, and was named black spot of European pear. In conidial inoculation tests, the causal pathogen induced not only small black lesions on the leaves of European pear cultivar Le Lectier, but severe lesions on the leaves of apple cultivar Red Gold, which is susceptible to the A. alternata apple pathotype (previously called A. mali) causing Alternaria blotch of apple. Interestingly, the apple pathotype isolate showed the same pathogenicity as the European pear pathogen. HPLC analysis of the culture filtrates revealed that A. alternata causing black spot of European pear produced AM-toxin I, known as a host-specific toxin of the A. alternata apple pathotype. AM-toxin I induced veinal necrosis on leaves of Le Lectier and General Leclerc cultivars, both susceptible to the European pear pathogen, at 5?×?10^?7 M and 10^?6 M respectively, but did not affect leaves of resistant cultivars at 10^?4 M. PCR analysis with primers that specifically amplify the AM-toxin synthetase gene detected the product of expected size in the pathogen. These results indicate that A. alternata causing black spot of European pear is identical to that causing Alternaria blotch of apple. This is the first report of European pear disease caused by the A. alternata apple pathotype. This study provides a multiplex PCR protocol, which could serve as a useful tool, for the epidemiological survey of these two diseases in European pear and apple orchards.     

Evaluation of cucumber (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cucumis sativus</Emphasis>) cultivars grown in Eastern Europe and progress in breeding for resistance to angular leaf spot (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas syringae</Emphasis> pv. <Emphasis Type="Italic">lachrymans</Emphasis>)

Increased occurrence of cucumber angular leaf spot, Pseudomonas syringae pv. lachrymans, has caused significant losses in cucumber, Cucumis sativus, yield in Poland in recent years. These losses necessitated evaluation of the level of resistance in cucumber cultivars of mainly Polish breeding, cultivated in Eastern Europe, and initiation of a breeding programme for resistance to this disease. Screening for resistance was performed on 84 cucumber accessions under growth chamber conditions using a highly aggressive strain of P. syringae pv. lachrymans. Most of the screened accessions were either susceptible or displayed intermediate resistance. The screening resulted in the identification of five F₁ hybrid cultivars moderately resistant to angular leaf spot. The identified F₁ hybrids were self-pollinated up to the F₄ generation. Individuals resistant to angular leaf spot were identified. These individuals can be used as a source of resistance to angular leaf spot in future breeding efforts.     

六种杀菌剂对烟草赤星病菌菌丝生长和分生孢子萌发的抑制作用

采用菌丝生长速率法和孢子萌发法测定了烟草赤星病菌Alternaria alternata对6种杀菌剂(氟硅唑、异菌脲、菌核净、嘧菌酯、醚菌酯及多菌灵)的敏感性。结果表明:6种杀菌剂对烟草赤星病菌菌丝生长和分生孢子萌发均表现出了不同程度的抑制活性。其中,对菌丝生长抑制活性最强的是氟硅唑,EC50平均值为(0.34±0.11)mg/L,其次为菌核净[(1.13±0.68)mg/L]和异菌脲[(2.08±0.24)mg/L];对分生孢子萌发抑制活性最强的是嘧菌酯协同100 mg/L水杨肟酸,EC50平均值为(0.28±0.09)mg/L,其次分别为单独处理的嘧菌酯[(5.79±2.76)mg/L]、醚菌酯[(11.93±3.93)mg/L]、菌核净[(19.95±15.94)mg/L]和异菌脲[(23.33±11.33)mg/L]。多菌灵对烟草赤星病菌菌丝生长和分生孢子萌发的抑制活性均最差,不宜用于烟草赤星病的防治,而异菌脲、氟硅唑、嘧菌酯和醚菌酯均有必要进一步针对烟草赤星病进行田间防效试验。     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Clavibacter michiganensis</Emphasis> subsp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">michiganens</Emphasis>is strains virulence and genetic diversity. a first study in Argentina

Tomato leaves showing severe leaf spot symptoms have been observed and sampled in the central west and southwest Taiwan during 2015 and 2016. The symptoms were similar to those of bacterial leaf spot/late blight diseases, but only Stemphylium-like fungi were consistently isolated from the diseased tomato. Upon spray inoculation of tomato, Stemphylium-like isolates caused leaf spot symptoms identical to those of naturally infected plants, and the pathogenic isolates were successfully re-isolated from inoculated leaves. The tomato-pathogenic isolates were identified as S. lycopersici based on morphological characterization and molecular identification. S. lycopersici has been previously reported to cause gray leaf spot of tomato in the temperate regions, but the majority of S. lycopersici-caused lesions were black/dark brown rather than gray in our surveillance. Accordingly, it is suggested that S. lycopersici-caused disease of tomato is named Stemphylium leaf spot of tomato more appropriately than tomato gray leaf spot. Moreover, S. lycopersici-caused leaf spot disease on tomato has been distributed in major tomato production regions in Taiwan. The information provided by our study will be important for future breeding of tomato cultivars, especially for tomato producers in Taiwan.     

Molecular characterization and pathogenicity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alternaria</Emphasis> species on wheat and date palms in Oman

This study was conducted to investigate the Alternaria species associated with leaf spot of date palm and wheat in Oman. Out of 98 date palm leaf samples and 146 wheat leaf samples, Alternaria was isolated from 27 and 23% of the samples developing leaf spot symptoms, respectively. Identification of Alternaria isolates using sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region of the ribosomal RNA (ITS rRNA), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH), translation elongation factor (TEF) and RNA polymerase II subunit (RPB2) genes, showed that the isolates belong to seven Alternaria species or species complexes. A. burnsii - A. tomato and A. arborescens species complexes (58 and 4%, respectively) and A. alternata (38%) were the species recovered from the symptomatic date palm leaves. A. alternata (67%), A. burnsii - A. tomato species complex (15%), A. jacinthicola (3%), A. ventricosa (3%), A. slovaca (6%) and Alternaria caespitosa (6%) were isolated from wheat. Pathogenicity test showed that tested isolates of A. alternata (DPM19, WDK12), A. burnsii - A. tomato species complex (DPM31), A. jacinthicola (WBR4) and A. slovaca (WDK9, WDK7) were pathogenic on date palm, while A. alternata (DPM19, WDK12), A. burnsii - A. tomato species complex (DPM31, WDK11) and A. slovaca (WDK9, WDK7) were pathogenic on wheat. This is the first report of date palm and wheat as new hosts for A. burnsii - A. tomato species complex and the first reports of A. burnsii - A. tomato species complex, A. caespitosa A. slovaca, and A. ventricosa in Oman. The study shows that several species of Alternaria are associated with leaf spot in date palm and wheat in Oman, with some isolates having the ability to cause infection in both hosts.     

Hexanoic acid provides long-lasting protection in ‘Fortune’ mandarin against Alternaria alternata

Alternaria brown spot disease is a serious disease in mandarins and their hybrids without effective disease control measures. In recent years, induced plant resistance has been studied as an alternative to classical pesticides, but few studies on the effectiveness of these products and their long-lasting effects in woody crops have been performed. After two inoculations with Alternaria alternata, citrus plants that were treated with hexanoic acid showed enhanced resistance, displaying lower levels of disease incidence associated with an activation of the jasmonic acid pathway, the accumulation of phenolic compounds and the expression of defensive genes, such as polygalacturonase-inhibiting proteins.     

Identification of putative defense-related genes in Japanese pear against <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alternaria alternata</Emphasis> infection using suppression subtractive hybridization and expression analysis

The Japanese pear pathotype of Alternaria alternata, a toxin-dependent necrotrophic pathogen, causes black spot of Japanese pear by producing the host-specific AK-toxin. Pre-inoculation with nonpathogenic A. alternata or pretreatment with an elicitor prepared from A. alternata reduced disease symptoms caused by the pathogen. Salicylic acid- and jasmonic acid-dependent signaling pathways are not involved in the induced resistance to infection by the pathogen. The expression of multiple defense-related genes in Japanese pear leaves inoculated with nonpathogenic A. alternata was examined using suppression subtractive hybridization. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. The nucleotide sequence data reported are available in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank database as accessions DC993229–DC993535.     

Resistance in field pea (Pisum sativum) to the black spot disease complex in Western Australia

Black spot (also referred as Ascochyta blight, Ascochyta foot rot and black stem; Ascochyta leaf and pod spot) is a devastating disease of field pea (Pisum sativum) caused by one or more pathogenic fungi including Didymella pinodes, Ascochyta pisi, Phoma pinodella and P. koolunga. Development of resistant germplasm has been slow because of the low level of resistance found in the available germplasm, poor reliability of screening methods and the polygenic nature of inheritance. Field studies, undertaken to assess F8 and F9 derived lines for resistance against the black spot complex, confirmed that some lines developed in the Australian breeding program show improvement in resistance over commercial cultivars. Disease scores across test lines ranged from 5.33 to 7.82 (0–9 scale where 0?=?no disease symptoms, and 9?≥?90 % leaf area affected) and from 5.37 to 8 in 2012 and 2013, respectively. In 2012, the eight most resistant lines had scores 5.33 to 6, with OZP1207 the most resistant line. In 2012, forty three lines were significantly more resistant (disease score?≤?6.67) than the susceptible standard, Helena (7.82), 14 lines were not significantly different to the most resistant commercial cultivar, Parafield (6.33), and 27 lines were significantly more resistant than PBA Percy (7.67). In 2013, WAPEA2211 was clearly the most resistant line (5.37) followed by a group of seven lines with slightly less resistance scored at 6. Use of these lines in breeding will further enhance resistance in commercial cultivars, particularly by inter-crossing among the more genetically diverse lines to accumulate minor genes for resistance. While there was no overall relationship between disease scores in 2012 and 2013 (R ²?=?0.029), presumably due to the highly variable pathogen composition of the black spot complex at the screening site and across seasons in Western Australia, a few lines, such as WAPEA2211, 04H349P-05HO2005, 06H109P-9 and 06H459P-1, showed significant resistance in both years, appear to have resistance to multiple pathogens in the black spot complex, and are of particular significance.     

BTH处理对甜瓜叶片活性氧代谢的诱导作用

为了明确活性氧（reactive oxygen species,ROS）代谢在甜瓜抗病性诱导中的作用,以抗白粉病甜瓜品种Tam Dew和感病品种卡拉克赛幼苗为材料,通过盆栽试验研究了苯丙噻二唑（BTH）喷雾或白粉菌接种后甜瓜叶片超氧阴离子（O2.-）产生速率、过氧化氢（H2O2）含量及超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、过氧化氢酶（CAT）、苯丙氨酸解氨酶（PAL）活性的变化。BTH处理或白粉菌接种均可诱导甜瓜叶片SOD、PAL活性升高,抑制CAT活性,导致叶组织O2.-产生速率和H2O2含量增加,BTH喷雾＋白粉菌接种比二者单独处理效果更好。结果表明,BTH处理后叶片O2.-产生速率提高和H2O2积累是甜瓜抗白粉病能力提高的重要机制,BTH通过诱导ROS代谢酶活性调节H2O2含量,且BTH诱导的甜瓜抗病性与品种的基础抗性有关。     

Nonpathogenic Binucleate Rhizoctonia spp. and Benzothiadiazole Protect Cotton Seedlings Against Rhizoctonia Damping-Off and Alternaria Leaf Spot in Cotton

ABSTRACT Recent reports have shown induction of resistance to Rhizoctonia root rot using nonpathogenic strains of binucleate Rhizoctonia spp. (np-BNR). This study evaluates the biocontrol ability of several np-BNR isolates against root and foliar diseases of cotton in greenhouse trials, provides evidence for induced systemic resistance (ISR) as a mechanism in this biocontrol, and compares the disease control provided by np-BNR with that provided by the chemical inducer benzothiadiazole (BTH). Pretreatment of cotton seedlings with np-BNR isolates provided good protection against pre- and post-emergence damping-off caused by a virulent strain of Rhizoctonia solani (AG-4). Seedling stand of protected cotton was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of nonprotected seedlings. Several np-BNR isolates significantly reduced disease severity. The combination of BTH and np-BNR provided significant protection against seedling rot and leaf spot in cotton; however, the degree of disease reduction was comparable to that obtained with np-BNR treatment alone. Significant reduction in leaf spot symptoms caused by Alternaria macrospora occurred on cotyledons pretreated with np-BNR or sprayed with BTH, and the np- BNR-treated seedlings had significantly less leaf spot than BTH-treated seedlings. The results demonstrate that np-BNR isolates can protect cotton from infections caused by both root and leaf pathogens and that disease control was superior to that observed with a chemical inducer.     

Foliar diseases of willows (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Salix</Emphasis> spp.) in selected locations of the Karkonosze Mts. (the Giant Mts)

The species of Salix herbacea L. and Salix lapponum L. are the rare relicts within the genus of Salix. With respect to their phylogeography, they are classified into the taxa of the Arctic-Alpine distribution. They can be found in the Arctic zone (Greenland, Scandinavia, Spitsbergen) as well as in such geographically separated areas as the mountains of lower latitudes like the Alps, the Sudetes or the Carpathians. Another species of willow occurring in the mountains of Europe, and more specifically on montane positions of the Balkan-Carpathian distribution is S. silesiaca. The aim of the study was to determine the severity of the diseases of the willows growing in selected locations in the Karkonosze Mountains. The research was conducted in the years 2014 and 2015 in the Kocio? ?omniczki [the ?omniczka Cirque] and the Wielki and Ma?y ?nie?ny Kocio?, [the Great and Small Snowy Cirques] at intervals of 4 weeks, from April to October. Field observations included the species of the genera Salix: S. herbacea, S. silesiaca and S. lapponum. Disease symptoms were identified with the percentage of infected plants at selected locations, as well as the percentage of infected leaves, recorded. In the course of the research, symptoms of rust caused by Melampsora epitea and M. alpina (S. herbacea and S. silesiaca), black spot blight caused by Rhytisma salicinum (S. silesiaca) and leaf spot, probably caused by a complex of fungal taxa (S. herbacea), were detected on the leaves of Salix spp. growing in post glacial cirques. During the study period, there were no disease symptoms on S. lapponum. A total of 13 species of fungi were isolated from the infected leaves of S. herbacea. In the first year, the highest share in the fungal assembly was taken by Penicillium notatum, followed by Alternaria alternata and an unidentified species of the genus Ceuthospora. In the second year of the research, Ceuthospora spp. and A. alternata predominated in the species assembly of fungi in the infected leaves of the herb willow.     

Characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phaeoacremonium</Emphasis> isolates associated with Petri disease of table grape in Northeastern Brazil,with description of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phaeoacremonium nordesticola</Emphasis> sp. nov.

Severe outbreaks of Alternaria leaf blotch and fruit spot were recently observed in cv. Pink Lady apples in northern Israel, especially on fruit. Such severe outbreaks have not been reported from other countries. Symptoms involved cracks and rot around the calyx and external rot of the fruit body. Up to 80 % of the fruit in some orchards were affected by the disease. Microscopic examinations, fulfillment of Koch’s postulates and molecular (genetic) analyses confirmed the causal agent as Alternaria alternata f. sp. mali. The incidence of Alternaria increased as the degree of calyx cracking increased, or if fruit were both cracked and rotted. Injecting spore suspensions into the fruit produced typical rot symptoms. Injection assays of detached fruit of eight apple cultivars showed that cvs. Pink Lady and Golden Delicious were susceptible whereas cv. Jonathan was resistant. Pink Lady and Golden Delicious produced more fruit rot as the inoculum concentration increased. Rot in all three cultivars was moderate close to the skin but more severe close to the seed locule. Aqueous extracts taken from Jonathan fruit peel inhibited germ tube elongation of A. alternata f. sp. mali in vitro. This is the first report on heavy infection of Pink Lady fruit in Israel caused by A. alternata f. sp. mali.