Gnomoniopsis castanea sp. nov is the causal agent of nut rot
Nut rot (‘mummificazione bianca delle castagne’) is a disease of chestnut (Castanea sativa) which has been observed in Italy since the second half of the 19th century but whose incidence has increased since 2005 in the north-west. Until recently, the identity of the causal agent remained uncertain and several fungal species had been proposed (e.g. Phomopsis endogena, Ciboria batschiana, Sclerotinia pseudotuberosa, Phomopsis castanea). Recent studies have shown that the main causal agent of nut rot is a new fungal species: Gnomoniopsis castanea sp. nov. In addition to Italy, this species has also been isolated from rotten nuts from Southeastern France, Southern Switzerland and a very closely related species has been recorded in New Zealand.
Sources
Visentin I, Gentile S, Valentino D, Gonthier P, Tamietti G, Cardinale F (2012) Gnomoniopsis castanea sp. nov. (Gnomoniaceae, Diaporthales) as the causal agent of nut rot in sweet chestnut. Journal of Plant Pathology 94(2), 411-419.