Open Access

ARTICLE

Freckles, a blemish of onion bulbs caused by Sclerotium sp.

Kiehr M, R Delhey

Departamento de Agronomía, Universidad Nacional del Sur, 8000 Bahía Blanca, Argentina.

* Corresponding Author:Address Correspondence to: Dr. Mirta Kiehr, e-mail:

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2011, 80(all), 221-225. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2011.80.221

Abstract

Freckles is a new blemish of white-scaled onion bulbs in the Lower Rio Colorado Valley (Argentina) characterized by the formation of small sclerotia imbedded in the dry scale tissue. The causal agent has been isolated from scales and symptomless roots of onion and was identified as Sclerotium sp. Although in its host range and morphology it resembles Sclerotium cepivorum, it is quite different with respect to other cultural and pathological traits. In inoculation experiments, onion and garlic plants could be infected and the typical sclerotia were formed, but no rot, a symptom characteristic for S. cepivorum, nor any other tissue deterioration was observed. The inoculated fungus could be re-isolated fulfilling Koch´s postulates. Freckles is considered a minor imperfection of minimal, if any, economic importance.

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