Alternaria solani

Alternaria solani
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Dothideomycetes
Order: Pleosporales
Family: Pleosporaceae
Genus: Alternaria
Species:
A. solani
Binomial name
Alternaria solani
Sorauer, (1896)[1]
Synonyms[2]

Alternaria solani (Ellis & G. Martin) L.R. Jones & Grout, Annual Report of the Vermont Agricultural Experimental Station 9: 86 (1896)
Macrosporium solani Ellis & G. Martin, Am. Nat. 16(12): 1003 (1882)

Alternaria solani is a fungal pathogen that produces a disease in tomato and potato plants called early blight. The pathogen produces distinctive "bullseye" patterned leaf spots and can also cause stem lesions and fruit rot on tomato and tuber blight on potato. Despite the name "early", foliar symptoms usually occur on older leaves.[3] If uncontrolled, early blight can cause significant yield reductions.[4] Primary methods of controlling this disease include preventing long periods of wetness on leaf surfaces[5] and applying fungicides.[6] Early blight can also be caused by Alternaria tomatophila, which is more virulent on stems and leaves of tomato plants than Alternaria solani.[7]

Geographically, A. solani is problematic in tomato production areas east of the Rocky Mountains and in the midwest, however, A. solani is generally not an issue in the less humid Pacific or inter-mountain regions. A. solani is also present in most potato production regions every year but has a significant effect on yield only when frequent wetting of foliage favors symptom development.[6][7]

"Bullseye" patterned leaf lesion of Alternaria solani
  1. ^ Sorauer, Z. PflKrankh. 6: 6 (1896)
  2. ^ "Species Fungorum - GSD Species". www.speciesfungorum.org. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  3. ^ [1] [dead link]
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Olanya was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Early blight of Potato and Tomato". Apsnet.org.
  6. ^ a b [2] [dead link]
  7. ^ a b Jones, Jeffrey B.; Zitter, Thomas A.; Momol, Timur M.; Miller, Sally A. (2016). Compendium of Tomato Diseases and Pests. Diseases and Pests Compendium Series (2nd ed.). The American Phytopathological Society. doi:10.1094/9780890544341. ISBN 978-0-89054-434-1.