Molecular identification of the powdery mildew fungus infecting rubber trees in China

Powdery mildew is a foliar disease of rubber trees. It is one of the most important leaf diseases in rubber plantations worldwide. The causal agent of this powdery mildew, previously known as Oidium heveae, has been identified under various names. To precisely identify the causal agents of this disease, 57 conidial samples were collected from 2013 to 2017 in Hainan, Yunnan and Guangdong provinces, the main rubber tree planting regions in China. Based on morphological observations using light and scanning electron microscopy, pathogenicity testing, and nrDNA ITS and 28S sequences, Erysiphe quercicola is suggested as the only causal agent of rubber tree powdery mildew in China.