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Onion bulbs (Allium cepa L.) can be stored for up to 12months to ensure their availability all year, but one of the limiting factors is decay caused by blue mould fungi. Postharvest development of blue mould is not only economically important, but also poses a health hazard due to mycotoxin contamination. Onion bulbs of different yellow and red cultivars with blue mould symptoms were collected from three storage facilities in Serbia. Pathogenic isolates were identified and characterized based on their molecular (partial -tubulin gene), morphological (micro- and macromorphology, and colony growth) and biochemical properties (analyses of indole metabolites via Ehrlich test). Three Penicillium species were identified: P.polonicum, P.glabrum and P.expansum. Virulence on inoculated onion bulbs varied significantly within isolates of P.glabrum, but the most virulent isolate of P.polonicum and P.glabrum did not differ, nor did they differ from an isolate of P.expansum. Variability in virulence of individual P.glabrum isolates corresponded to differences in their molecular and macromorphological characters. P.glabrum and P.expansum were identified for the first time as causal agents of onion bulb decay in Serbia. Data from this investigation provide insight into diversity of economically important and possibly toxigenic blue mould fungi which brings attention to their presence in storage facilities and therefore the necessity of the application of prevention measures.

Infection of strawberry plants with binucleate Rhizoctonia spp. results in an increase in peroxidase activity and the appearance of new isoforms of the enzyme. In healthy and diseased roots of two different strawberry genotypes seven peroxidase isoenzymes were found. In healthy strawberry cv. Senga Sengana, which was moderately resistant to infection, four isoenzymes (1, 2, 5, and 6) were found. Moreover the activity of these isoenzymes was increased and three new isoenzymes (3, 4, and 7) were found in infected roots. In the strawberry hybrid 3/2/86/88/R, which is very susceptible to infection, only isoenzyme 2 was present in the roots of healthy plants. Following infection, the activity of isoenzyme 2 was increased and five new isoenzymes (1, 4, 5, 6, and 7) were detectable. The results obtained indicate that strawberry resistance to binucleate Rhizoctonia may be correlated with peroxidase isoenzyme profile with particular reference to isoform 3, which is only present in infected roots of the moderately resistant cv., Senga Sengana.