1ST OCCURRENCE OF SOYBEAN SOUTHERN STEM CANKER IN PARAGUAY

Southern stem canker of soybean was detected on more than 10 cultivars in 3 and 13 locations in Itapua and Alto Parana prefectures in Paragu ay, respectively. Symptoms and signs on the diseased soybean plants we re identical with those reported for the disease previously. Morpholog y and characteristics of the pathogen both on the host and artificial media agreed with the descriptions of Diaporthe phaseolorum f. sp. mer idionalis (anamorph : Phomopsis phaseoli f. sp. meridionalis). About 1 50 isolates were obtained from the diseased soybean plants. Soybean pl ants inoculated with some of the isolates showed symptoms typical of t he disease 2 - 3 weeks after inoculation. It was shown for the first t ime that the disease occurred in Paraguay.