Species of the genus Alternaria pathogens of vegetable and spice plants from the family Apiaceae

Abstract

Species of the genus Alternaria are among the most important plant pathogens that occur worldwide on many host plants, as well as plants of the Apiaceae family, including important vegetables such as carrots, parsley, celery, parsnips and fennel, and popular herbs such as anise, cumin, dill, coriander and others. These plants are attacked by different species of phytopathogenic fungi of the genus Alternaria, and this paper offers current review of nine different species. However, there is still insufficient information on both these species and the nu-merous interactions between them and their host plants and environmental factors. This information are necessary as the basis for adequate disease control measures and thus enabling successful and profitable cultivation of these high valued crops. Therefore, we present pathogen profiles of A. dauci, A. radicina, A. carotiincultae, A. petroselini, A. selini, A. smyrnii, A. alternata, A. longipes and A. burnsii as pathogens of Apiaceae plants, as well as their full current names and synonyms, taxonomic position, distribution and symptoms these pathogens cause to their host plants, as well as their biology and mode of transmission and spread, with special emphasis on control measures.