.
Dr. Namita Kumari
Department of Botany
Magadh Mahila College
Patna University, Patna
Alternaria
Content-
Classification
Introduction
Symptoms
Mycelium
Reproduction.
Alternaria 1
Taxonomic position \Classification -
Alexopoulos(1962) –
Division- Mycota
Subdivision- Eumycotina
Form class- Deuteromycetes
Form order- Moniliales
Form family- Dematiaceae
Form genus- Alternaria
Mycologists used the word “ form” as a prefix to denote
the artificial and temporary nature of this class of fungi.
Alternaria 2
Introduction - The form-genus Alternaria occurs
universally(worldwide).It has several form-species, 299
approx. Many of these are contaminants in laboratory
media and on Petri-dish cultures. In nature mostly grow
as saprophytes on plant debris and dying plant parts ,
airborne, indoors, on objects, in water and also in the
soil. Several form-species are parasitic on plants as
Alternaria solani causes early blight of potato and other
members of family Solanaceae. A. brassicae and A.
brassicicola cause leaf spot disease in crucifers such as
mustard, cabbage, cauliflower etc. A. cucumerina grows
on various cucurbits. A. tenuis causes late blight of wheat
. A. zinneae parasitizes Ageratum conyzoides. A. citri
causes black rot on citrus plants. A. carotiincultae causes
leaf blight on carrot .
Alternaria 3
Here is the description of Alternaria solani - It causes early
blight of Potato( Solanum tuberosum. ).
Symptoms- 1. Premature defoliation occurs, which results
in tuber yield reduction. 2. Initial infection occurs on older
leaves, with concentric dark brown spots developing mainly
in the leaf center. 3. Infected leaves turn yellow and either
dry off or fall off the stem. 4. Tuber lesions are dry, dark and
pressed into the tuber surface, with the underlying flesh
turning dry, leathery and brown.
Mycelium- Mycelium is short, slender, septate, branched,
light brown but becoming dark-coloured with age. The
colonies of Alternaria are wooly but more compact with the
underside very dark coloured. The hyphae are at first
intercellular, later penetrating into the cells of the invaded
tissue.
Alternaria 4
Reproduction - Alternaria has no sexual or perfect stage.
They multiply asexually by the method of Sporulation.
The characteristic asexual spores which are produced
exogenously are the conidia. The conidia are produced at the
tips of ordinary hyphae which are comparatively short and
dark coloured, termed as conidiophores . Conidiophores are
relatively short( 50-90 u long and 9 u broad) and dark coloured
arise from the
. older diseased tissue of the host and emerge
through the stomata. The conidia are borne on the tip of
conidiophores. The conidia are large( 120 to 296 u in length
and 12- 20 u in breadth) , dark coloured, multiseptate ie
several celled, muriform and beaked. The number of cells
varies from 8-14 or even more in a conidium. The septa
dividing the spore( conidia) into the cells are both transverse
and vertical and their number is not fixed, may be 5-10
transverse septa and a few longitudinal one. Usually conidia
are borne end to end in chains of two or three. Occasionally
they may occur singly at the tip of hypha.
Alternaria Repdn. contd. 5
The conidia are deciduous ie detached readily and
dispersed by air currents and thus invade laboratories
where they contaminate cultures. They are abundant in
the house dust. The conidia germinate readily on suitable
host, in the presence of moisture and suitable
temperature by putting out a number of germ tubes(5-
10). By which new mycelium will be formed.
Alternaria - symptoms on leaves & tubers 6
Alternaria- mycelium& conidia 7
Life-cycle 8
Alternaria 9
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