Tea plant [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] is an important evergreen plantation crop that is always consumed with the buds and leaves of tea plants, hence foliar diseases are of great concern for the tea production and quality. The majority of tea cultivars are susceptible to all kinds of foliar diseases caused by fungi, which facilitates annual outbreak of fungal diseases during the growing seasons. Brown blight disease caused by Colletotrichum and tea grey blight caused by Pestalotiopsis-like species are the most severe diseases that occur commonly on tea leaves, ultimately leading to production loss and quality decrease. The number of known Pestalotiopsis-like and Colletotrichum species is generally increasing, confirming the pathogens’ widespread distribution. But so far, limited species have been reported to be associated with C. sinensis. During the years 2014–2017, tea plants exhibiting blight disease in eight main tea cultivation areas of Chongqing city (located in the southwest of China) were investigated and then analyzed using both morphological characteristics and multi-locus phylogenetic analysis. The results showed that at least six species of Colletotrichum were identified, including five well known species (C. gloeosporioides, C. camelliae, C. fioriniae, C. acutatum and C. karstii) and one novel species. Tea grey blight disease appears to be caused by a group of Pestalotiopsis-like species that has gone largely unrecognized, including Pseudopestalotiopsis camelliae-sinensis, Neopestalotiopsis clavispora and Pestalotiopsis camelliae. The phylogenetic relationships provided more extensive knowledge about the genomic organisation in Colletotrichum and Pestalotiopsis-like species responsible for tea diseases. Accurate identification of plant pathogens is essential for effective disease management. Further studies on the pathogenic mechanism of pathogens causing tea brown and grey diseases are underway.

Two main foliar diseases caused by Colletotrichum and Pestalotiopsis-like species on Camellia sinensis in China

256th National Meeting (2018)

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