Sara May*, The Pennsylvania State University – NEPDN, Swarnalatha Moparthi, North Carolina State University – SPDN, and Samantha Fieweger*, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection – NCPDN
* Member of the NPDN Protocol and Validation committee
The Communicator: Volume 6, Issue 11, November 2025
Contact Sara May (srm183@psu.edu), Swarnalatha Moparthi (smopart@ncsu.edu), and Samantha Fieweger (sam.fieweger@wisconsin.gov) for suggestions to include.
Denotes publications with one or more authors who are members of NPDN.
Diagnostic guides
A diagnostic guide for oak wilt disease in oak and chestnut https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-05-25-0154-DG
A diagnostic guide for Fusarium root rot of soybean https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-02-25-0075-DG
A diagnostic guide of diseases caused by Diaporthe species in soybean https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-03-25-0096-DG
Halo blight of hop caused by Diaporthe humulicola: A diagnostic guide https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-02-25-0058-DG
Pathogens
Sporulation dynamics among US Calonectria pseudonaviculata isolates on infected boxwood leaves https://doi.org/10.1111/ppa.70019
Xanthomonas citri pv. lagerstroemium, description of a new pathovar causing leaf spot on crape myrtle https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-09-24-2009-SC
Identification of a Burkholderia species causing onion bulb rot disease https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-12-24-2675-SC
Fungal and bacterial species associated with storage diseases in sugar beet from the Red River Valley of Minnesota and North Dakota https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-24-2188-RE
Identification and characterization of Penicillium spp. associated with storage rot of sugar beet in the Red River Valley of Minnesota and North Dakota, U.S.A. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-08-24-0079-RS
Identifying fungal leaf spots on oilseed rape: When reference isolates, standardised images, multi-expert image annotation and molecular diagnostics contribute jointly https://doi.org/10.1111/ppa.70010
Fungal trunk pathogens of fruit and nut tree crops: Identification, characterization, detection, and perspectives for a critical global issue https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-24-2069-FE
Identifying the distribution and causal pathogens of blueberry stem blight disease in Alabama and nearby states https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-07-24-1404-SR
Methods and protocols
Development and validation of molecular assays for detection of root- and butt-rot diseases in western redcedar https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTOFR-04-25-0042-R
Development of a real-time PCR assay to detect the kiwifruit pathogen Pectobacterium actinidiae https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-05-24-1092-RE
Development of a duplex immunocapture reverse-transcription auantitative PCR for large-scale detection of potato mop-top virus in dormant potato tubers https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-11-24-2288-RE
Development of a toolbox to study Phytophthora cryptogea–lettuce interactions: Characterization and detection of P. cryptogea in hydroponic lettuce https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-09-24-2018-RE
sangerFlow, an automated bioinformatics pipeline to analyze Sanger amplicon sequencing data for pest and pathogen diagnosis https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTOFR-09-24-0104-SC
A robust potato tuber tissue collection method to investigate potato virus Y, potato mop-top virus, and tobacco rattle virus localization patterns https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-11-24-2453-RE
Notable First Reports
Herbaceous ornamentals, turfgrass and weeds:
First report of root rot caused by Fusarium oxysporum on American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) in Tennessee and the United States https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-08-25-1704-PDN
First report of Colletotrichum sansevieriae causing anthracnose on snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata) in Hawaii https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-06-25-1206-PDN
First report of Albugo ipomoeae-panduratae causing white rust on ivyleaf morningglory (Ipomoea hederacea) in Iowa https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-12-24-2570-PDN
First report of powdery mildew caused by Erysiphe alliariicola on pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) in North America https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-24-2055-PDN
First report of Golovinomyces ambrosiae on Cirsium arvense worldwide https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-05-25-0945-PDN
Woody ornamentals and forests:
First report of Berkeleyomyces rouxiae causing black root rot of orange jasmine (Murraya paniculata) found in Florida, U.S.A. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-06-25-1328-PDN
First report of Phaeoacremonium minimum causing decline of American sycamore in West Virginia https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-07-25-1435-PDN
First host record of Paramyrothecium vignicola causing leaf spot on banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis) discovered in Florida, U.S.A. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-24-2083-PDN
Vegetables, herbs and table beet:
Pythium deliense causing cottony leak on pickling cucumber fruit in South Carolina, USA https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-25-0855-SR
First report of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’ infecting okra in the United States https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-06-25-1247-PDN
First report of Agroathelia rolfsii causing southern blight on eggplant in New York https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-06-25-1319-PDN
First report of Golovinomyces bolayi causing powdery mildew on lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in Texas https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-25-0902-PDN
First report of charcoal rot caused by Macrophomina phaseolina on dry beans in New York, United States https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-06-25-1195-PDN
First Report of Meloidogyne enterolobii Infecting Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in Texas, United States https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-25-0740-PDN
First report of Fusarium wilt of Brassica juncea caused by Fusarium commune in Hawai’i https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-25-0728-PDN
First report, detection, and phylogenetic analysis of bell pepper endornavirus (BPEV) isolates infecting pepper in Oklahoma https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTOFR-03-25-0026-R
First report of Erysiphe heraclei causing powdery mildew on cilantro in Tennessee and the United States https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-25-0837-PDN
Tree fruit and small fruit: berries, nuts, stone and pome fruit:
First report of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma fraxini’-related strain associated with peach yellows in Pennsylvania https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-06-25-1240-PDN
First report of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae race 1 causing Fusarium wilt of raspberry in the United States https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-06-25-1221-PDN
First report of Polystigma amygdalinum causing red leaf blotch of almond in California https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-25-0925-PDN
First report of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. multiplex associated with bacterial leaf scorch on American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis L.) in Oklahoma https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-03-25-0590-PDN
First report of Colletotrichum fioriniae causing bitter rot of apple in Massachusetts https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-03-25-0597-PDN
First report of grapevine red blotch virus causing grapevine red blotch disease in New England vineyards https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-25-0733-PDN
Field crops, cannabis, sugar beet, potato, sunflower:
First report of Pythium myriotylum causing damping off and root rot in Cannabis sativa in Florida https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-07-25-1413-PDN
First report of Xanthomonas prunicola causing leaf streak disease on wheat (Triticum aestivum) in the United States https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-06-25-1194-PDN
First report of aerial blight of soybean caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA in Tennessee https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-06-25-1213-PDN
First report of hoja blanca viral disease in rice in Texas, USA https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-07-25-1410-PDN
First report of Xanthomonas sacchari causing bacterial panicle blight of rice in the United States https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-25-0819-PDN
First report of target spot caused by Corynespora cassiicola on cotton in North Carolina https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-05-25-1059-PDN
First report of Verticillium dahliae race 3 causing Verticillium wilt of potato in Minnesota https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-01-25-0065-PDN
Occurrence of Colletotrichum chlorophyti and C. sojae causing soybean leaf anthracnose in Iowa https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-02-25-0317-PDN
Peer review highlights (top five-ten)
Species-specific primers derived from comparative genomics for PCR detection of Verticillium species https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-24-2227-RE
Early detection and quantification of Fusarium wilt in greenhouse-grown tomato plants Using Water-Relation Measurements https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-07-24-1523-RE
Identification of race-specific, clade-specific and broad-spectrum resistance to Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris in Brassica diversity fixed foundation sets https://doi.org/10.1111/ppa.70074
Quantitative detection of Phytophthora infestans in potato leaves using nanopore amplicon sequencing https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTOFR-02-25-0011-R
Estimation of airborne sporangia numbers of lettuce and spinach downy mildew pathogens in three California valleys https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTOFR-04-25-0045-R
Investigating plasmid diversity in Xanthomonas euvesicatoria pv. perforans population https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-02-25-0042-FI
Meta-analytic and economic evaluation of fungicide programs applied for managing Sclerotinia stem rot in soybean across the North-Central United States
https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTOFR-07-25-0068-R
Powdery mildews on Fragaria spp. and Rubus spp. – unravelling the phylogeny and taxonomy of economically relevant species within the intricate Podosphaera aphanis s. lat. complex https://doi.org/10.47371/mycosci.2025.05.001
Transmission of apple stem grooving virus (Capillovirus mali) to apple from the soil-borne fungus Fusarium solani https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-07188-0
Extension (e-gro and others)
Hungry Gerberas: A Multitude of Symptoms https://www.e-gro.org/pdf/2025-14-38.pdf
Fight Mites Right https://www.e-gro.org/pdf/2025-14-34.pdf
Diagnosing Calcium Deficiency of Marigold Blooms https://www.e-gro.org/pdf/2025-14-31.pdf
Leaf Rust Disease of Southern Highbush Blueberry in Florida https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/PP385
Be on the Lookout for Pepper Anthracnose Caused by Colletotrichum Scovillei
https://plantpathology.ces.ncsu.edu/2025/06/be-on-the-lookout-for-pepper-anthracnose-caused-by-colletotrichum-scovillei/
