Identification and Distribution of Two Fungal Species Causing Sclerotial Disease on Mulberry Fruits in Korea

A total of 520 overwintered sclerotia were collected from surface of soil under mulberry trees in six locations in Korea during February in 2006 and 2007. The collected sclerotia were tested for their germination in vitro and identified based on their morphological characteristics. Out of all sclerotia tested, 52.3% of the sclerotia germinated and produced two types of apothecia. The two types of fungi occurred from the sclerotia at the ratio of 49.8 vs. 50.2. The fungal type with cup-shaped apothecia was identified as Ciboria shiraiana and another type of fungus with club-shaped apothecia as Scleromitrula shiraiana. Taxonomy and distribution of the two sclerotial fungi were described and discussed.