# First Report of Fusarium avenaceum Causing Blight on Juniperus formosana in China: Morphological and Molecular Characterization

## TL;DR

This paper reports the first occurrence of Fusarium avenaceum causing blight on Juniperus formosana in China, identified through molecular and morphological methods.

## Contribution

The first report of Fusarium avenaceum causing blight on Juniperus formosana in China.

## Key findings

- Fusarium avenaceum was identified as the pathogen causing blight on Juniperus formosana in Kaili City, China.
- The identification was confirmed using ITS sequencing and microscopic examination of the pathogen.

## Abstract

Juniperus formosana is a significant garden plant. However, the occurrence of blight causes severe withering of the tender shoots, thereby diminishing its landscape ornamental value. This study aims to identify the type of disease currently affecting Juniperus formosana and the associated pathogenic fungi, providing a scientific basis for effective disease prevention and control.

In October 2024, a large-scale blight was found on tender shoots (young green shoots) of Juniperus formosana in Kaili City, Guizhou Province, China. The pathogen was isolated and purified from the diseased tissues by the tissue isolation technique. Through ITS identification and microscopic examination, the pathogen was determined to be Fusarium avenaceum. This is the first discovery in China that the blight on Juniperus formosana is caused by Fusarium avenaceum.