Septoria pisi

Septoria leaf spot (Septoria pisi) Westend - 5475098

Septoria pisi is a fungal pathogen that affects pea plants, causing a disease known as Septoria blight. This disease is characterized by the appearance of lesions on the leaves, stems, and pods of the plant, which can lead to significant yield losses in agricultural production.

Taxonomy and Classification

Septoria pisi belongs to the kingdom Fungi, the phylum Ascomycota, the class Dothideomycetes, the order Pleosporales, and the family Mycosphaerellaceae.

Symptoms

The primary symptoms of Septoria pisi infection include:

• Small, water-soaked spots on the leaves that enlarge and turn brown with a yellow halo.
• Lesions on the stems and pods, which can coalesce and cause significant damage.
• Premature leaf drop and defoliation, leading to reduced photosynthetic capacity and lower yields.

Disease Cycle

Septoria pisi overwinters in infected plant debris and can be spread by rain splash and wind. The fungus produces spores that infect new plants during wet and humid conditions. The disease cycle includes the following stages:

• Overwintering in plant debris.
• Spore production and dispersal.
• Infection of new host plants.
• Symptom development and further spore production.

Management and Control

Effective management of Septoria pisi involves a combination of cultural, chemical, and biological control methods:

• Crop rotation with non-host crops to reduce the inoculum in the soil.
• Removal and destruction of infected plant debris to minimize overwintering sources.
• Application of fungicides to protect plants during critical growth stages.
• Use of resistant pea varieties, if available.

Economic Impact

Septoria pisi can cause significant economic losses in pea production due to reduced yield and quality of the harvested crop. Effective management practices are essential to minimize the impact of this disease on agricultural productivity.

See Also

• Plant pathology
• Fungal diseases of plants
• Agriculture