Abstract
Foshou yam (Dioscorea esculenta) is a tuber food crop in China. It is a rare species of the yam family and known for its high nutritional value. From 2019 to 2021, tuber rot was observed in Foshou yam in Wuxue, Hubei Province, China. Fungal strains were isolated from diseased tubers, and ten representative strains were identified based on microscopical characterization and multi-locus phylogenetic analysis. A total of five different species were identified, including Curvularia geniculata, Curvularia muehlenbeckiae, Fusarium commune, Penicillium oxalicum, and Penicillium sclerotigenum. Pathogenicity test revealed that these fungi are the pathogens of tuber rot in Foshou yam. Among them, P. oxalicum exhibited the strongest pathogenicity. To our knowledge, this is the first report of tuber rot in D. esculenta caused by these five species worldwide. This study provides important information for the future management of tuber rot in Foshou yam.