Occurrence of powdery mildew on aubergine in West Sussex

A powdery mildew ( Erysiphe sp.) was found on the upper surfaces of leaves of a glasshouse-grown aubergine ( Solanum melongena ) crop in West Sussex during Autumn 1992. It could be readily transferred to tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum ) and tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum ), but produced restricted growth and sporulation on cucumber ( Cucumis sativus ). Sweet pepper ( Capsicum annuum ), Chinese cabbage ( Brassica campestris var. chinensis ), lettuce ( Lactuca sativa ), chrysanthemum ( Dendranthema x grandiflorum ) and Nicotiana benthamiana did not show symptoms. When transferred to tomato and cucumber, the morphology of aubergine powdery mildew resembled the natural glasshouse powdery mildew on the two crops, respectively, rather than powdery mildew on aubergine. Powdery mildew from naturally infected tomato could infect aubergine directly, and also after one, but not two, generations on cucumber.