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A postharvest rot of ripe sweet pepper fruits was found in Kagawa Prefecture in western Japan in October 2002. A fungus, isolated repeatedly from the diseased fruits and identified as Fusarium lactis, was demonstrated to be pathogenic on wounded fruits of sweet pepper. The disease was diagnosed as an internal fruit rot that had been noted abroad. The disease and the fungus were judged new in Japan. The fungal isolate was also pathogenic on wounded fruits of tomato and eggplant.

Brown lesions were found on leaves of the weed barnyardgrass in paddy fields in Hiroshima Prefecture in western Japan in June 2017. A fungus, isolated repeatedly from diseased plants and identified as Exserohilum oryzicola, was demonstrated to be pathogenic to barnyardgrass. The disease was diagnosed as leaf spot, reported abroad but new to Japan. In pathogenicity tests, the isolate was also pathogenic to barley, bread wheat, durum wheat, and rice but foliar symptoms were milder than on barnyardgrass; it was nonpathogenic on soybean.

Pink coloration of barley seeds has caused quality loss since 2015 in some areas where barley is grown in Japan. A bacterium, isolated frequently from the affected seeds and identified as Erwinia persicina, was demonstrated to induce the coloration. Barley was judged to be a new host for E. persicina, and this new disease was named pink seed of barley.

Cercospora blight caused by Cercospora asparagi routinely developed on asparagus in certain plastic hoop houses in Hiroshima Prefecture in western Japan every July to November. Stemphylium lycopersici was repeatedly isolated with C. asparagi from the blighted leaves in September 2016 and shown to be another causal agent of the blighting and added as another pathogen causing Stemphylium leaf spot of asparagus.

Retinal prostheses are promising techniques to restore eyesight sense for visually impaired people. However, some conventional retinal prostheses require external cameras, and the eyeball direction is different from the view direction. Moreover, some also require a wired connection between inside and outside of the body, and the quality of life (QOL) is seriously impaired. In this article, we have developed a retinal prosthesis using thin-film devices on a transparent substrate and wireless power transfer. The outstanding advantages are: thin-film photo-transistors are integrated to make the eyeball and view directions the same, a transparent substrate is employed to achieve epiretinal implantation, and wireless power transfer is adopted to ensure the QOL. Particularly in this article, a pig eyeball experiment is executed. It is found that the stimulating current is an appropriate value, and the oscillating frequency is dependent on the light illumination. From these results, it is concluded that the correct operation necessary for a retinal prosthesis as an implanted organ is confirmed.

Blighting of lower sheaths was found on barley, bread wheat and durum wheat grown in western Japan in April 2014, May 2016, and April 2019, respectively. A fungus, isolated repeatedly from the diseased plants and identified as Ceratobasidium cereale, was demonstrated to be pathogenic to the three crops. The diseases, new in Japan, were diagnosed as sharp eyespot that had been noted abroad.

Fusarium asiaticum was repeatedly isolated from blighted spikes of durum wheat with head blight-like symptoms in our experimental fields in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture in western Japan, then demonstrated to be pathogenic to the crop. F. asiaticum was not previously reported as causing head blight on durum wheat, so it has been added to the pathogens causing this disease.

An artificial retina is a biological stimulation device that reproduces vision by electrically stimulating a living retina. We have developed an artificial retina using thin-film devices. We drove the artificial retina implanted in a pig eyeball by wireless power transfer and observed stimulation current flowed in the pig eyeball. In particular in this presentation, the stimulation current flowing in the pig eyeball was compared from the viewpoint of the pixel circuit. Excellent results were obtained when an nin-type thin-film photo-transistor (TFPT) was used, and an n-type thin-film transistor (TFT) was connected to the Vdd side.

A soil inhabiting fungus, Ophiosphaerella korrae (J. Walker & A.M. Sm. bis) Shoemaker & C.E. Babc. has been confirmed to be pathogenic to barley, durum wheat and bread wheat of the major crops (Hong et al., 2018; Tomioka et al., 2019ab). Foliage and spikes of the affected plants early blight with root rot and ripening disorder. In this study, we revealed virulence of the fungus to rice, which is also one of the major crops. When a rice cultivar (cv. Norin No. 22) was grown in pots in artificial climate chambers after being sowed with culture discs (6 mm in diameter) of the fungus (strains MAFF150117 and MAFF150118 from bread wheat and durum wheat, respectively) on synthetic nutrient agar (SNA) (1 disc per seed), growth delay and early foliage blight (including ripening disorder) with rotting of roots and stem bases occurred. Defect rates were 22% and 84% for the plants inoculated with strains MAFF150117 and MAFF150118, respectively. Control plants simultaneously treated with aseptic SNA discs had no symptom. The fungal strains were consistently isolated from all the inoculated plants, but not from healthy controls, demonstrating that the fungal strains were virulent to rice. Additionally, a decrease tendency of grain yield without symptom on foliage and roots was detected on a rice cultivar (cv. Koshihikari that is cv. Norin No. 1 × cv. Norin No. 22) inoculated with strain MAFF150117 in another pot experiment. Ophiosphaerella korrae is also known as a pathogen causing spring dead spot or necrotic ring spot of Bermudagrass (Wetzel et al., 1999ab; Camara et al., 2000; Iriarte et al., 2004; Gullino et al., 2007; Perry et al., 2010; Sasaki et al., 2010), Kentucky bluegrass (Wetzel et al., 1999a; Camara et al., 2000, 2001; Hayakawa et al., 2004; Wong et al., 2015), Louisiana grass (Wetzel et al., 1999a; Camara et al., 2000) and Zoysiagrass (Hayakawa et al., 2004; Tredway and Butler, 2007). We will investigate varietal difference against O. korrae as well as the fungal emergent ecology in the future.[References] Camara et al. (2000) Mycologia 92:317-325 Camara et al. (2001) Mycol Res 105:41-56 Gullino et al. (2007) Pl Dis 91:1200 Hayakawa et al. (2004) J Jpn Soc Turf Sci 33 (Supplement 1):24-25 Hong et al. (2018) Pl Dis 103(1):158 Iriarte et al. (2004) Pl Dis 88:1341-1346 Perry et al. (2010) Mycopathologia 169:395-402 Sasaki et al. (2010) Jpn J Phytopathol 76(3):158 Tomioka et al. (2019a) Abstracts of papers presented at the 44th annual meeting of the pesticide science society of Japan, p 82 Tomioka et al. (2019b) Abstracts of papers presented at the 63th annual meeting of the mycological society of Japan, p 64 Tredway and Butler (2007) Pl Dis 91:1684 Wetzel et al. (1999a) Mycol Res 103:981-989 Wetzel et al. (1999b) Pl Dis 83:1160-1166 Wong et al. (2015) Pl Pathol 44:545-555

Bacterial black node caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae is the most serious bacterial disease of barley and wheat in Japan. The spatiotemporal distribution of barley and wheat plants infected with bacterial black node in fields in 2016–2017 was analyzed using Taylor’s model and Iwao’s model. In Taylor’s model, the sample variance (s 2) of the total and the newly diseased plants at each observation increased with mean plant density (m). In Iwao’s model, although the mean crowding (m*) of total and newly recognized diseased plants increased with m, Taylor’s model fit the data better than did Iwao’s model. Thus, bacterial black node could be explained as a colony expansion model.

Many bands were detected on an electrophoretic profile of double-stranded (ds) RNA preparation from a single strain of Fusarium poae isolated from wheat. When the purified dsRNA sample was deep-sequenced by a next-generation sequencer, sixteen virus-like assembled contigs with predicted amino acid sequences showing homologies to respective viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRps) were found by BLAST analysis. Fourteen out of sixteen sequences showed homologies to RdRps of known mycoviruses, that is, four mitoviruses, two narnaviruses, two partitiviruses, an alternavirus, a fusarivirus, a hypovirus, a victorivirus, and two unclassified mycoviruses, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum dsRNA mycovirus-L and Aspergillus foetidus slow virus 2, respectively. The other two putative viral RdRp sequences showed homologies to those of members of negative-stranded RNA viruses, the Ophiovirus and the Phlebovirus respectively, which mycoviruses had been not ever assigned to. Based on genome structure and phylogenetic analysis, both viruses were thought to be members of novel respective negative-stranded RNA virus groups. The presences of all sixteen viral RdRp sequences identified by BLAST analysis were confirmed by sequencing RT-PCR products generated from the starting dsRNA material using primers designed from the de novo assembled sequences of respective putative mycoviruses. Since the single strain of F. poae was considered to be multiply infected with mycoviruses from novel taxonomical groups in addition to many common mycoviruses, the RNA virome of the strain was found to be highly diverse.

Artificial retinas are biological stimulation devices aiming at visual regeneration by stimulating retinas of blind patients. We have developed an artificial retina using low temperature poly silicon thin film transistors (LTPS-TFTs) driven by wireless power transfer. The artificial retina can be installed on a patient's retina and obtain power by wireless power transfer from the coil embedded in the glasses. In this study, we have succeeded in confirming the operation of the artificial retina by wireless power transfer in phosphate buffered saline (PBS).

Ear rot with white or pink mold was found on corn (Zea mays L.). A species of Fusarium, not registered previously as a pathogen causing Gibberella ear rot of corn in Japan, was isolated from the rotted ear. The isolates, identified as F. asiaticum based on morphological characteristics and nucleotide sequences, caused white or pink mold on corn ear after inoculation. Moreover, the 3-acetyl deoxynivalenol chemotype and the nivalenol chemotype were found in the isolates. We propose to include F. asiaticum as one of the pathogens causing Gibberella ear rot of corn in Japan.

A method to quantify resting spores of Olpidium virulentus, fungal vector of Mirafiori lettuce big-vein virus, which causes lettuce big-vein disease, in lettuce roots was developed using a DAS-ELISA with a polyclonal antibody against the resting spores and used to evaluate the relationship between the resting spore density in soil and disease severity. When lettuce seedlings were grown on soils containing a powder made from diseased roots with a known number of resting spores, symptoms developed from ca. 102 spores/g of soil or more. This simple method can be used in soil diagnosis and risk assessment of the disease.

Wehave evaluated thin-film biostimulating device using thin-film transistors (TFTs). We measured the stimulating current in the in-vitro experiment. It was found that sufficient current can be obtained even if some load resistance is attached. By comparing the results for the different mold area, the resistance of the TFT, pad, and phosphate buffered saline (PBS) can be separated. It is found that the thin-film biostimulating device is robust against the change of the resistance in living bodies.

Severe wilt was found on seedlings of turnip green (Brassica rapa L., perviridis group) in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, from May to September 2013. A fungus repeatedly isolated from diseased plants was identified as Rhizoctonia solani AG-4 HG-III based on culture morphology, anastomosis and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region on ribosomal DNA (rDNA-ITS region). Pathogenicity of this isolate to turnip green was confirmed based on inoculation test. Because Rhizoctonia blight of turnip green by AG-4 HG-III has not been reported so far, we propose including it as one of the pathogens causing this disease.

The morphology of 18 and seven species of fungi isolated from spoiled bean sprouts of Vigna spp. and soybean in Japan were respectively described, and DNA barcode markers of most isolates were sequenced to confirm the morphological identification. Fifteen and five species were isolated for the first time from Vigna spp. and soybean sprouts, including their ingredient grains, respectively. Globisporangium ultimum var. ultimum was newly recorded from the mung bean and most isolated fungi seemed to originate from the grains. Approximately 70% of isolates are recognized as plant pathogens and at least 14 species are known to be seed-borne. Inoculation experiments with representative strains of each species are needed to estimate the risks to bean sprout production and crop protection. Some strains of Fusarium graminearum isolated from the soybean were already reported as producing high concentrations of deoxynivalenol. Aspergillus flavus, which was found in mung bean sprouts, is a well-known aflatoxin producer. The ingredient grains should be imported after complete sterilization to avoid hazards; not only to bean sprout production but to human health. The effects of previously used sterilization techniques should be re-examined with the strains of various fungi isolated in this study to make them more practical. Discipline: Food Additional key words: black matpe, fungal carrier, identification, mung bean, soybean

Severe blight of stems was found on Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) in Shizuoka and Okinawa prefectures, Japan, in July 2003 and September 2004, respectively. Similar fungi were isolated from the diseased plants. The isolated fungi caused the disease after inoculation and subsequently were reisolated from diseased tissues. The fungi were identified as species closely related to C. siamense or C. tropicale according to sequences of the β-tubulin-2 gene, indicating that they belong to the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex. This is the first report specifying the genetic relationships of the pathogens of Madagascar periwinkle anthracnose in the complex.

We are developing artificial retinas using poly-Si thin-film transistors (TFTs), which is suitable for the epiretinal implant on the curved human eyeballs. In this study, we confirmed stimulus performance of poly-Si TFTs in in-vitro experiment for artificial retinas. It is found that correct output waveforms are observed using a CMOS inverter and ring oscillator. This means the stimulus performance of the poly-Si TFTs is sufficient for arftificial retinas.

A database of plant diseases reported in Japan and a Web-based data-retrieval system to search for information stored in the database have been developed. The retrieval system is linked with the database on microorganism genetic resources registered in the Genebank Project of the National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (the NIAS Genebank), which provides access to detailed genetic information on strains of these microorganisms. The NIAS Genebank manages the registration of so-called “passport” data for these genetic resources and controls their storage to make samples available to researchers worldwide. Data management software has been developed to register the receipt, storage, testing, and multiplication of these genetic resources. Search software has also been developed to seek suitable genetic resources based on several search criteria to facilitate their distribution from the stocks stored in the NIAS Genebank. DNA sequence data for the D1/D2, 18S, and internally transcribed spacer ITS (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) regions of rDNA and for the coding region of the β-tubulin gene for many of the conserved microorganisms can be accessed from the NIAS Genebank Web site. The database on Japanese plant diseases and the NIAS Genebank search system are expected to become increasingly useful tools for research and education related to microorganisms and their genetic data, as well as for improving plant protection and food security.

Rotting of roots and stem bases and wilting of entire plants were found on a gentianaceous flowering plant, prairie gentian (Eustoma grandiflorum), grown in Kagawa Prefecture in the southwest region of Japan in April 2001. A mitosporic fungus, isolated repeatedly from the diseased plants, was identified as a species belonging to the clade 3 of Fusarium solani species complex based on the morphology and the sequence of the translation elongation factor gene. It was demonstrated to cause the disease by inoculating potted plants and reisolating the fungus from the diseased plants. We propose the name “Fusarium root rot of prairie gentian” for this disease.

Severe spotting and blight of leaves caused by Colletotrichum destructivum were found on snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L.), a scrophulariaceous ornamental, in open fields in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, from June through September 2004. The fungus is added to the group of the pathogens causing anthracnose of snapdragon.

The National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS) is implementing the NIAS Genebank Project for conservation and promotion of agrobiological genetic resources to contribute to the development and utilization of agriculture and agricultural products. The project's databases (NIASGBdb; http://www.gene.affrc.go.jp/databases_en.php) consist of a genetic resource database and a plant diseases database, linked by a web retrieval database. The genetic resources database has plant and microorganism search systems to provide information on research materials, including passport and evaluation data for genetic resources with the desired properties. To facilitate genetic diversity research, several NIAS Core Collections have been developed. The NIAS Rice (Oryza sativa) Core Collection of Japanese Landraces contains information on simple sequence repeat (SSR) polymorphisms. SSR marker information for azuki bean (Vigna angularis) and black gram (V. mungo) and DNA sequence data from some selected Japanese strains of the genus Fusarium are also available. A database of plant diseases in Japan has been developed based on the listing of common names of plant diseases compiled by the Phytopathological Society of Japan. Relevant plant and microorganism genetic resources are associated with the plant disease names by the web retrieval database and can be obtained from the NIAS Genebank for research or educational purposes.

Foliar wilt as well as crown and root rot with sclerotia formation has affected potted liver leaf (Hepatica nobilis var. japonica f. magna) in Ojiya, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, since 2006. Apothecia developed from the sclerotia on soil surface of pots with the diseased plants in March. A fungus forming the apothecia was identified as Dumontinia tuberosa (Sclerotiniaceae) based on its morphology and demonstrated to cause the disease. We coined the name “Dumontinia root rot (Dumontinia-negusare-byo in Japanese) of liver leaf” for the new disease.

In some areas of Japan, yellow spots with white pustules on leaves, stems, petioles, peduncles and calyces were found on Ipomoea nil, I. triloba, I. lacunosa and I. hederacea var. integriuscula. We demonstrated that the diseases on I. nil, I. triloba and I. lacunosa were caused by host-specific strains of Albugo ipomoeae-panduratae and defined three forma speciales of the fungus, respectively, for the three Ipomoea species: “f. sp. nile”, “f. sp. trilobae” and “f. sp. lacunosae”. Because the diseases were new to Japan, we coined the Japanese name “shirosabi-byo”, which means white rust. We also showed that the disease on I. hederacea var. integriuscula was caused by A. ipomoeae-hardwickii. We named this new disease “white rust (shirosabi-byo in Japanese)”.

A wilt disease of the model legume Lotus japonicus was observed in a greenhouse in Tokyo, Japan in May 2004. Roots of diseased plants were rotted and dark brown with lesions spreading to lower stems and leaves, resulting in rapid plant death. The causal agent was identified as Fusarium solani based on the morphology. Sequence analysis of rDNA supported the identification. Inoculation of roots of healthy plants with conidia reproduced characteristic disease symptoms, and F. solani was reisolated from lesions, satisfying Koch’s postulates. The isolate also caused chlorotic to necrotic lesions on leaves of healthy plants after wound-inoculation. Infection by F. solani of leaves of L. japonicus was confirmed histologically. Mycelia were observed in the intercellular spaces of parenchymatous tissues in the lesion area and the surrounding tissues. This is the first report of fungal disease on L. japonicus satisfying Koch’s postulates. We named it “Fusarium root rot of L. japonicus” as a new disease. The compatibility of L. japonicus and F. solani is expected to form a novel pathosystem for studying interactions between legumes and fungal pathogens.

Restriction landmark genome scanning (RLGS) is a 2-DE of genomic DNA, which visualizes thousands of loci. In a conventional RLGS method for methylation analysis, we have used a methylation sensitive restriction enzyme, NotI as a landmark. However, it was unable to discriminate methylation polymorphism from sequence polymorphism. Here, we report an improved RLGS method to detect methylated sites directly. We employed isoschizomers, MspI and HpaII, that recognize the same sequence (CCGG) but have different methylation sensitivity. We carried out the RLGS analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Columbia, and obtained a pair of spot patterns with MspI and HpaII. We detected 22 spots in both patterns. In comparison of them, 18% of the spots were polymorphic, which indicated the methylation of C(5m)CGG sites. Further analyses revealed an additional methylated site of NotI. Moreover, 52 and 54 restriction enzyme sites were also analyzed in two other ecotypes, Wassilewskija and Landsberg erecta, respectively. Consequently, 15% of the 52 common sites showed methylation polymorphism among the three ecotypes. The restriction sites analyzed in this study were located in or near genes, and contribute new data about the correlation between methylation status and gene expression. Therefore, this result strongly indicates that the improved RLGS method is readily applicable to practical analyses of methylation dynamics, and provides clues to the relationship between methylation and gene expression.

Restriction landmark genome scanning (RLGS) is a high-speed genome analysis method to detect DNA polymorphism, and is suitable to develop useful DNA markers for cultivar-discrimination of agricultural plants. The mat-rush, Juncus effusus is a vegetatively propagated crop that has been cultivated for over 500 years in Japan as the material of "tatami-omote," a surface of Japanese conventional mats. In recent years, Japanese mat-rush cultivars are grown in foreign countries and reimported to Japan in violation of the Seeds and Seedlings Law, economically damaging domestic production. The largest problem of illegal mat-rush reimportation has been with cv. Hinomidori. We developed a cultivar-discrimination DNA marker of mat-rush using RLGS, and detected the RLGS spot markers that didn't exist specifically in Hinomidori. The spot marker can be used with the RLGS method to identify Hinomidori accurately among cultivars.

Based on inoculation experiments and morphological studies on the pathogenic isolates of Plectosporium spp., Microdochium blight (Hakuhan-byo in Japanese) of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Duch.) occurring in Japan was reconfirmed to be caused by Plectosporium tabacinum, and seedling blight (Kabugare-byo in Japanese) of ranunculus (Ranunculus asiaticus L.) was demonstrated to be caused by P. tabacinum. Both diseases are renamed Plectosporium blight in this article. Some isolates of the fungus appeared to have host specificity, whereas the others had either weak or no pathogenicity to pumpkin and ranunculus.

In the central bank of the microorganisms section in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) Genebank in Tsukuba, 14,836 strains of fungi, bacteria, yeasts and others are preserved by various methods including cryopreservation and freeze-drying. To evaluate preservation techniques for these microorganisms, the viability of the preserved microorganisms was examined at regular intervals. Almost all tested strains, except for 5 strains out of 2,334 strains, of yeasts, bacteria and Actinomycetes were preserved well in freeze-dried form, indicating that freeze-drying is suitable for their preservation. As for fungi and Oomycetes, 6,578 strains out of 6,681 tested strains (98.5%) and 264 (63.8%) of 414, respectively, survived one-year preservation in the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen. The details on survival of the preserved fungal strains were as follows: 99.0% (1,107 strains/1,118 tested strains) survival in Ascomycota, 96.1% (1,552/1,615) in Basidiomycota, 98.6% (73/74) in Zygomycota, and 99.3% (3,846/3,874) in anamorphic fungi. Thus, cryopreservation is excellent for preservation of most fungus strains, but is not suitable for preservation of many Oomycetous strains.

Severe rotting and blight of seedlings of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., were found in Hiroshima Prefecture in the southwest region of Japan in July 2009. A filamentous microorganism, isolated repeatedly from the diseased seedlings and identified as Pythium myriotylum, was demonstrated to be pathogenic to seedlings of soybean. The disease was new in Japan, and we propose to include this oomycete as one of the pathogens causing damping-off of soybean.

Severe spotting and blighting of leaves were found on bacopa (Sutera cordata), a scrophulariaceous ornamental, in greenhouses in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, from January through February 2007. After we isolated and identified the causal fungus as Colletotrichum destructivum and inoculated host plants with the isolate to confirm pathogenicity, we named this new disease anthracnose of bacopa.

A severe rot of postharvest fruits of sweet pepper, a variety of Capsicum annuum, was found in Kagawa Prefecture in southwestern Japan in August 1999. A fungus, isolated repeatedly from the diseased fruits and identified as Stemphylium lycopersici, was demonstrated to be pathogenic to fruits of sweet pepper. The disease was new to Japan, and the fungus was added to the pathogens causing fruit rot of C. annuum.

Severe blight of potted seedlings of monkshood caused by Plectosporium tabacinum was found in glasshouses in Kagawa Prefecture in southwest Japan in May 2001. Root rot and browning of stem bases were followed by wilting and yellowing of leaves, then blighting of leaves, flower buds and stems. A fungus was isolated from diseased plants and confirmed to cause the disease. The new disease was named “Plectosporium blight of monkshood”.

Severe wilt and blight of entire plants of yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) grafts on sunflower (Helianthus annuus) were found in greenhouses in Kagawa Prefecture in the southwest region of Japan from April to May between 1997 and 1999. A mitosporic fungus, isolated repeatedly from the diseased plants and identified as Botrytis cinerea, was demonstrated to be virulent to both yacon and sunflower. The new disease on yacon was named gray mold of yacon. The disease on sunflower, gray mold of sunflower, is new to Japan.

Severe wilt with spots and/or leaf and stem blight were found on a scrophulariaceous flowering plant, Nemesia strumosa, grown in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan, in February 1999. Wilted plants had numerous lesions and died early. A mitosporic fungus isolated repeatedly from the diseased plants was identified as Colletotrichum fuscum and was demonstrated to cause the disease. N. strumosa is a new host for C. fuscum, which has been known to attack foxglove (Digitalis spp.). The present disease was named “anthracnose of N. strumosa” as a new disease.

In October 1998, a disease causing mainly foliar necrotic lesions was found on African marigold (Tagetes erecta) and French marigold (T. patula) grown in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Similar lesions also developed on stems and flowers, resulting in early blight of the affected organs. Plants with numerous lesions withered rapidly. A mitosporic fungus isolated repeatedly from the diseased plants was identified as Alternaria tagetica and demonstrated to cause the disease. The disease, as well as the fungus, is new to Japan. We propose the name “hanten-byo”, which means leaf spot in Japanese, for this disease.

Severe spotting, blight and drop of leaves caused by Colletotrichum dematium were found on potted plants of Polygonatum falcatum, a liliaceous ornamental, in open fields in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan, in May 2001. This new disease was named anthracnose of P. falcatum.

Severe blight of stems, leaves and pods caused by Botrytis cinerea was found on pearl lupine (Lupinus mutabilis), a legume crop, grown in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan, in March–June 1996–2002. This disease was named “gray mold of pearl lupine” as a new disease.

Severe rot of leaves, peduncles and flowers caused by Gibberella zeae (anamorph: Fusarium graminearum) was found on potted plants of hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis), a liliaceous ornamental, in greenhouses in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan, in January 2001. This disease was named “Fusarium rot of hyacinth” as a new disease because only the anamorph, F. graminearum, was identified on the diseased host plant.

Glomerella cingulata (Stoneman) Spaulding et Schrenk (anamorph: Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penzig) Penzig et Saccardo) has been known as the pathogen of ripe rot of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.). In addition to this fungus, another Colletotrichum species was isolated from fruits of grape cultivar ‘Sekirei’ with ripe rot in Shimane Prefecture in 1994. Colonies of the isolate on potato dextrose agar (PDA) were reddish to pale brown. Its conidia on PDA were one-celled, hyaline, ellipsoid to fusiform with acute ends and 12-17×4-5μm. Appressoria formed on potato carrot agar were pale grayish brown, ellipsoid, rarely irregular in shape, and 8-11×4-7μm. The isolate grew slower than that of G. cingulata isolates from grape fruits on PDA at the optimum temperature. These morphological and physiological characteristics agreed with those of Colletotrichum acutatum Simmonds ex Simmonds. The ripe rot symptom was reproduced on grapevine fruits after inoculation with the isolate of C. acutatum. These results lead us to propose that C. acutatum, as well as G. cingulata, causes ripe rot of grapevine.

Stem rot and wilt of Jew’s marrow (nalta jute, Corchorus olitorius) were found on Is. Okinawa, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, in March 2000. An anamorphic fungus, Lasiodiplodia theobromae was isolated repeatedly from the diseased plants and demonstrated to cause the disease. We coined the Japanese name “kurogare-byo” of Jew’s marrow for the present disease because it was new to Japan, although it had already been reported in India and Bangladesh as black band of the plant.

Severe rot of stem bases caused by Pythium aphanidermatum was found on ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus) grown in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan, in September 1999. The name “foot rot of ulluco” is proposed for this new disease.