Tan brown rot caused by Discohainesia oenotherae on strawberry fruits in Merida-Venezuela

Based on morphology and size of the structures produced in situ and in vitr o br the synanomorphs Hainesia lythri and Pilidium concavum, Discohainesia oenotherae was identified as thr cause of tan brown rot on strawberry fruit s in Merida, Venezuela. On malt extract agar (MEA) H. lythri formed cupulat e to discoid conidiomata which showed sporodochia features. Conidiophores w ere hyaline, 1-2 septate, cylindrical, and branched. Conidiogenous cells ap peared as phialide, hyaline and enteroblastic. Conidia were hyaline, falcat e as canoe, with acute apex and narrow obtuse base, thin-walled, 6.5 (5.5-8 .0) x 1.9 (1.5-2.0) mum and non-septate. Conidiomata and conidia produced o n inoculated fruits measured 442.6 (292.6-585.3) mum irt diameter and 6.5 ( 5.0-8.0) x 1.7 (1.5-2.5) mum, respectively. The conidiomata of Pilidium con cavum appeared an old MEA cultures, as hard hemispheric black bodies with u pper portion irregularly depressed and were 526.8 (390.2-682.9) mum in diam eter. These bodies contained conidia of 6.3 (5.0-8.0) x 1.7 (1.5-2.0) mum w hich M eve morphologically similar to those produced by H. lythri. The dise ase was reproduced on mature fruits of 'Chandler' strawberry inoculated wit h conidial suspension (1.5x10(6) conidia/ml). H. lythri was continuously is olated from inoculated fruits. Control fruits did not show the disease symp toms.