In a study of the relationship between Welsh onion white rot caused by Sclerotium cepivorum in soils in a growth chamber at various temperatures, disease incidence was highest at 14.1°C (83.8%), 15.2°C (96.6%), and 16.4°C (80.0%), indicating that the optimum soil temperature for disease development ranges from 14°C to 17°C. In the field, the disease was first observed when the minimum soil temperature was <20°C. Thus, Welsh onion white rot began when the soil temperature was approximately 20°C and developed rapidly when the temperature was 14°C–17°C.
In 2017, yellowing and ring spots on leaves were found on ashitaba [Angelica keiskei (Miq.)] in Tokyo. The isolated virus, identified as Konjac mosaic virus (KoMV) based on RT-PCR and sequencing analyses, caused the typical symptoms on ashitaba plants after mechanical inoculation. This is the first report of KoMV infection on ashitaba, and the name “ring spot disease” is proposed for the new disease.
Damping-off of black ginger (Kaempferia parviflora) seedlings was observed in Kyoto Prefecture in 2018. Fungal-like isolates were readily obtained from infected parts of tubers. These isolates caused similar symptoms after a soil drench of potted plants with individual isolates, which were identified as Pythium myriotylum based on morphological characteristics and sequences of rDNA ITS regions and coxI gene. This is the first report of a disease of black ginger caused by P. myriotylum in Japan, and we propose the Japanese name “tachigare-byou” (damping-off) of black ginger.