New species and new records of plant pathogenic fungi from northern Thailand

Abstract

Plant pathogenic fungi are significant in agricultural ecosystems, causing substantial economic losses worldwide. Understanding their diversity and distribution by exploring the poorly studied niches is essential for agricultural and horticultural production and effective disease management strategies. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive survey of plant pathogenic fungi on the Mae Fah Luang University premises, Thailand. Through morphological and multi-gene phylogenetic analyses, eight new fungus-host and five new geographical records are reported. Additionally, a new species, Neopestalotiopsis iridis, is illustrated and described. The survey revealed a diverse assemblage of fungal pathogens infecting various plant hosts, including economically important crops and ornamental plants. Our findings contribute to the knowledge of fungal biodiversity in northern Thailand and provide valuable insights into new niches of the species. This study underscores the importance of continued research efforts to monitor plant pathogenic fungi in different niches to increase our understanding of species diversity, distributions and evolutionary relationships.