Powdery mildews in agricultural crops of Sinaloa: Current status on their identification and future research lines

Abstract

The present review aims to discuss the evolution of the procedures for the identification of the powdery mildew pathogens. The morphometric characteristics deciphered by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and the availability of molecular tools have contributed to the identification of the anamorph in different species of Erysiphales in various regions around the world. In Sinaloa, the identification of these plant pathogens started in 2005. Applying morphometric studies to the teleomorph and anamorph of the powdery mildew fungus in squash and cucumber allowed the identification of Podosphaera xanthiias the causal agent; the anamorph of the same species was also identified in melon, watermelon, bottlegourd, and husk tomato. In subsequent studies, in addition to the morphometric characteristics, the ITS of rDNAwas used for the identification of the anamorph of Erysiphe diffusa, Erysiphe quercicola, and Podosphaera pannosa on bean, mango, and roses, respectively. The known species of Erysiphales at the present time in Sinaloa might be only a segment of many of them infecting cultivated and wild species of plants; thus, there is an immense opportunity to focus research lines on the etiology, epidemiology, and control of this type of diseases.