Postharvest soft rot on Citrullus vulgaris caused by Rhizopus oryzae in South Korea

Abstract

During the summers of 2010 and 2011, a disease suspected to be Rhizopus soft rotwas observed on watermelon at commercial markets in Jinju, South Korea. The infected parts of the mature fruits appeared water-soaked at first, and then softened and rotted rapidly. White mycelia grew from the primary infection site and gradually covered the fruitwith tufted whisker-like gray sporangia and sporangiophores. To confirm the identity of the fungus, the complete internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA sequence was amplified and sequenced. On the basis of the mycological characteristics, molecular identification and pathogenicity, the fungus was identified as Rhyzopus oryzae. This is the first note of R. oryzae as a postharvest pathogen of watermelon in Korea. © Australasian Plant Pathology Society Inc. 2014.