First report of parsley basal petiole rot caused by Alternaria petroselini and comparison with parsley leaf blight pathogen in terms of morphology, phylogeny and pathogenicity

In 2011, parsley basal petiole rot was found in a nursery greenhouse in Hokkaido, Japan. One of the isolates obtained from diseased tissues was identified as Alternaria petroselini based on morphological and molecular characteristics, and was indistinguishable from the A. petroselini reference isolate, parsley leaf blight pathogen. Both isolates could cause basal petiole rot and leaf blight in parsley after inoculation, which indicated that they were different symptoms of the same disease. This is the first report of parsley basal petiole rot caused by A. petroselini.