Alternaria Leaf Spot or Grey Leaf Spot of Mustard
Pathogen: Alternaria brassicae/A. brassicicola
Symptoms
a) Symptoms on leaf
Numerous, small, brown colored spots of approximately 1 cm in diameter are seen on the leaf,
mid-rib and petiole.
Typically, the spots appear as concentric rings which are developed gradually around the initial
spot and the spots are encircled by yellowish halo zone.
In severe case, some spots may coalesce together and produce bigger lesion and finally the
whole area become blighted.
Alternaria symptoms often occur on the older leaves, since they are closer to the soil and are
more readily infected as a consequence of rain splash or wind-blown rain. Late infection, or
infection of older leaves, does not characteristically reduce yields, and can be controlled through
intensive removal of infected leaves
Fig. 1: leaves of mustard plant showing Alternaria Leaf Spot symptoms
b) Symptoms on pods
Irregular brown to blackish spots of various sizes (usually elongated/linear) are found on the
infected pods.
Seeds are also infected and discolored at the embryonic point and shrinked.
Fig. 2: Pods of mustard plant showing Alternaria Leaf Spot symptoms
Description of the structures of the pathogen
Mycelium: Well-developed, septate, branched and brown in color.
Conidiophore: Simple, erect, straight or curved, more or less cylindrical, septate and brown in color.
Conidium:
Alternaria brassicae:
Conidia are muriform (septate in both horizontally and vertically), multicellular, colored, obclavate,
(basal part wider than apex), long beaked (about 1/3 - ½ to the length of conidium).
Alternaria brassicicola:
Conidia are muriform (septate in both horizontally and vertically), multicellular, colored, obclavate,
(basal part wider than apex), short beaked (about 1/6 - 1/8th to the length of conidium).
Taxonomy
Kingdom: : Fungi Kingdom: Fungi
Form-Phylum: Deuteromycotina Phylum: Ascomycota
Form-Class : Hyphomycetes Class: Dothideomycetes
Form-Order : Moniliales Subclass: Pleosporomycetidae
Form-Family : Dematiaceae Order: Pleosporales
Genus : Alternaria Family: Pleosporaceae
Species : Alternaria brassicae Genus: Alternaria
A. brassicicola Species: Alternaria brassicae
A. brassicicola
Management options
• Seed treatment with hot water is one method of controlling spores on the seed coat. However, this
treatment sometimes depresses germination.
• Rotation with non-cruciferous crops and eradication of cruciferous weed hosts can help control
these pathogens. Since spores can survive on leaf tissue for 8 to 12 weeks and stem tissue for up
to 23 weeks, fields that are replanted soon after harvest often coincide with a large amount of
inoculum which is likely to affect the crop's emergence and early growth stages.
• Breeding resistant cultivars is an important option.
• Seed surface treatment with thiram at 2g/kg of seed weight works very well.
• Application of Rovral [email protected]% at 12-15 days interval is suggested.
Beak
Conidial body
Horizontal septatum
Vertical septatum
Conidiophore
Mycelium
Fig. Different structures of Alternaria brassicae (Explanatory view)
Beak
Conidial body
Vertical septatum
Horizontal septatum
Conidiophore
Mycelium
Fig. Different structures of Alternaria brassicicola (Explanatory view)
Fig. Conidia of A. brassicicola Fig. Conidia of A. brassicae
