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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Frederick, Maryland » Foreign Disease-Weed Science Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #398416
Research Project: Diagnostics and Biological Approaches for Management of Emerging Oomycete Plant Pathogens

Location: Foreign Disease-Weed Science Research

Title: First report of powdery mildew of American ginseng caused by Erysiphe heraclei in Tennessee and the United States

Author
item AVIN, FARHAT - Tennessee State University
item LIYANAPATHIRANAGE, PRABHA - Tennessee State University
item Shishkoff, Nina
item SWIGGART, ETHAN - Middle Tennessee State University
item GAO, YING - Middle Tennessee State University
item BAYSAL-GUREL, FULYA - Tennessee State University

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/10/2022
Publication Date: 6/14/2023
Citation: Avin, F.A., Liyanapathiranage, P., Shishkoff, N., Swiggart, E., Gao, Y., Baysal-Gurel, F. 2023. First report of powdery mildew of American ginseng caused by Erysiphe heraclei in Tennessee and the United States. Plant Disease. 107:1950. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-22-2310-PDN.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-22-2310-PDN

Interpretive Summary: American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) is a high-profit crop in Northeastern America in wooded areas, where the roots are dried as an herbal medicine, selling for approx. $800 per dry pound, with a potential yield of as much as 300 pounds fresh weight per acre. Over half of the Extension agents and almost 30 percent of foresters in the Mid-Atlantic states have been queried by landowners about ginseng income opportunities. The plant has few diseases, so the presence of a new one that affects root quality is a significant finding. This is the second report of powdery mildew on ginseng in North America, and the first to clearly identify the species.

Technical Abstract: American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.), an important herbal medicine plant, is native to Northeastern America. Powdery mildew symptoms were observed on 8-year-old cultivated American ginseng leaves on a residential property in Rutherford Co., TN in May 2022. Disease severity was 40-60%. Affected plants showed white powdery fungal colonies covering leaves and under severe infection leaves were exhibiting chlorosis and senescence. Microscopic observation revealed masses of conidia and mycelium covering symptomatic tissues. Based on morphological and molecular identification, isolates FBG1668 and FBG1728 were identified as Erysiphe heraclei. To our knowledge, this is the first report of powdery mildew caused by Erysiphe heraclei on American ginseng (P. quinquefolius) in Tennessee and the United States. Identification and timely management of powdery mildew on American ginseng will be necessary to control this disease in affected growing sites.