Identification of Alternaria speIdentification of Alternaria Species from the Section Infectoriae associated with Wheat and Barley Black (Sooty) Head Mold in Irancies from the section Infectoriae associated with cereal sooty mold in Iran

Abstract Black (sooty) head mold of wheat and barley, which is commonly characterized by black discoloration of their heads, is caused by different fungi colonizing the mature and senescent heads. It seems that black head mold develops more on plants when humid conditions occurs as the crop matures, or when harvest is delayed due to wet conditions and/or when portions of plants specially heads are died prematurely. During an investigation on fungal species associated with black head mold of wheat and barley in Golestan, Alborz and Qazvin provinces in the spring and summer of 2014 and 2015, a total of 133 Alternaria isolates with the characteristics of the section Infectoriae were collected. Based on the results obtained from morphological studies and data from nucleotide sequences of the two genomic loci, ITS–nrDNA and part of gelyceraldehyde–3–phosphate dehydrogenase (gpdh), four species Viz. Alternaria arbusti, A. ethzedia, A. incomplexa and A. triticimaculans were identified. All identified species in the case of this study are reported for the first time as Alternaria species associated with black head mold symptoms of wheat and barley in the world. Also, except for A. arbusti, which was previously reported from cabbage plants in Iran, the remaining three species are new records for mycobiota of Iran. The species are fully described here.