LAUSR

Abstract Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) is an important ornamental plant ranking in the top 10 cut flowers worldwide. During 2016–2017, root and stem rot was a major problem that limited the production of lisianthus in Fujian Province, China. Disease symptoms include yellowing of the leaves and root and stem rot leading to wilting. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify the causal pathogen. Based on symptoms on host plants, morphological characteristics, sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer rRNA region (ITS) and the gene encoding translation elongation factor-1α (TEF), and pathogenicity tests, the pathogen was identified as Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacc. Isolates recovered from inoculated, diseased lisianthus plants had a similar morphology to the fungal isolates used to inoculate the plants, which completed Koch’s postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. solani causing root and stem rot on lisianthus in China.