التسجيل الأول لإصابة أشجار المشمش بالفطر Taphrina deformans Tulasne (Berk.)‎ في سورية

Abstract EN

In the spring of 2019, unusual symptoms of leaf curl disease caused by Taphrina deformans Tulasne (Berk.) were observed on apricot trees in Safita area (Btaresh and Hikar Moukheiber villages), Tartous governorate, Syria.

This disease is known to occur on peaches and almonds and causes annual losses in Syria.

Although apricot is one of the hosts of this fungal pathogen, but it's infection with this pathogen is rare.

However, in this field survey, the disease was not observed in Al-Qusair-Ribla region in Homs governorate, one of the main apricots producing areas in Syria.

The disease on apricots was confirmed by the symptoms produced on apricots, in addition to microscopic and biometric measurements of the exo-asci and ascospores of the fungus.

It was also isolated on the nutrient PDA medium, and colonies growth was compared with those of the fungus that infects peaches.

This is possibly the first record of leaf curl disease caused by Taphrina deformans infecting apricots in Syria and in the Arab region.