Important Criteria for Identification of the Cercospora Species

Species of the genus Cercospora are important plant pathogenic fungi with worldwide distribution. They are often associated with leaf spots, occurring on a wide range of hosts in almost all major families of dicots, most monocot families, and even some gymnosperms and ferns. Different characteristics, such as morphology, toxin production and host specificity were used to distinguish species. New research findings have shown that a polyphasic approach, combining morphological, ecological and phylogenetic species concepts, which are discussed in this article, proved the most effective method to distinguish species of the genus Cercospora. Accurate identification of these plant pathogens is the first step to adopt the appropriate management strategies for their disease control. Therefor, it is recommended that, in order to accurate identification of the species of the genus Cercospora, they should be studied and reviewed on the basis of these criteria.