Emergence of Globisporangium (Pythium) splendens on ginger in peninsular India

The yield of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is increasingly threatened by fungal and bacterial diseases, most notably soft rot caused by Pythium species. The disease has recently appeared in ginger fields in Kerala, India. The pathogen responsible for the disease is Globisporangium splendens (H. Braun) Uzuhashi et al. The pathogen identity was confirmed from the measurement of its morphological and molecular characteristics, and from fulfilling Koch’s postulate. The pathogenic traits of the agent of interest are described from laboratory and greenhouse experiments. This study raises awareness of G. splendens as a potential threat to ginger cultivation in Peninsular India by identifying it as the causal agent of soft rot in ginger.