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Occurrence of Black Spot Caused by Alternaria alternata on Celosia cristata L. in Henan Province, China and In Vitro Screening of Control Agents
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DOI：10.3390/horticulturae12081002.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Celosia cristata is an important ornamental and medicinal plant widely cultivated in China. In July 2025, a severe black spot disease was observed on C. cristata in the Zhang Zhongjing Medicinal Plant Garden, Nanyang, Henan Province, China, resulting in substantial defoliation and yield loss. To identify the causal agent and provide a scientific basis for disease management, the pathogen was isolated and purified from diseased tissues using the tissue isolation method. The pathogen was identified based on morphological characteristics, multi-gene sequence analysis (ITS, RPB2, and TEF1-α), and pathogenicity tests conducted in accordance with Koch’s postulates. Seven isolates with uniform morphological features were obtained. Sequence analysis and multilocus phylogenetic reconstruction indicated that the isolates shared 99–100% identity with Alternaria alternata. Pathogenicity tests demonstrated that the isolates induced typical black spot symptoms on healthy plants. To our knowledge, this is the first report of A. alternata causing black spot disease on C. cristata in Henan Province. In vitro effective fungicides were screened, among which mancozeb demonstrated the strongest inhibitory activity against A. alternata, exhibiting an EC50 value of 97.72 mg/L. Additionally, the biocontrol agent Trichoderma harzianum achieved a mycelial growth inhibition rate of 69.95% against the pathogen. These findings provide a scientific foundation for the future prevention and control of black spot disease in C. cristata.
Keywords:
<i>Celosia cristata</i>
black spot disease
<i>Alternaria alternata</i>
isolation and identification
fungicide screening
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