TestCloud
Prep • Practice • Perform
Log In

"New Phytopathogenic Fungus Species 'Epicoccum indicum' Discovered.

Environment | Dated: 03 Feb 2025

On February 1, 2025, a new species of phytopathogenic fungus, Epicoccum indicum (Ascomycota, Didymellaceae), associated with an emerging leaf spot disease in Chrysopogon zizanioides (vetiver), was discovered by researchers at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Uttar Pradesh (UP).

🎯 Key Highlights:

  • - The discovery was made by Raghvendra Singh, Senior Assistant Professor, and Soumyadeep Rajwar, a research scholar, from the Department of Botany at BHU, UP.
  • - The species name is derived from India, where it was first discovered.

💡 Other Important Facts:

  • (i) This new species was identified based on morpho-cultural traits and molecular phylogenetic analyses, which involved multilocus sequencing.
  • (ii) Phytopathogenic fungi are responsible for causing 70-80% of plant diseases, leading to substantial economic losses in agriculture and horticulture, and can be either necrotrophic (feeding on dead tissue) or biotrophic (colonizing living tissue).

📚 Test Your Knowledge:

Which new phytopathogenic fungus species has been recently discovered?

Correct Answer: Epicoccum indicum

🚀 Quick Recap: