Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is native to Iran and neighbouring countries and is negatively affected by a wide range of diseases. Canker and dieback diseases caused by Cytospora punicae and members of the family Botryosphaeriaceae are the main trunk diseases on pomegranate. In summer 2017, progressive dieback of branches on some young pomegranate trees was observed in orchards of the Gorgan Region (Golestan province, Northeast Iran). Fungal colonies with similar colony colour were isolated from symptomatic tissues. The identity of the causal agent was determined as Neofusicoccum parvum, based on a polyphasic taxonomic approach including morphological features of conidiomata and phylogenetic inference based on the ITS‐rDNA region and translation elongation factor 1 alpha (tef1‐α) gene. Koch's postulates were fulfilled using an excised shoot method. This study provides the first report on the occurrence of N. parvum as a cause of branch canker on pomegranate in Iran.

中文翻译：

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与伊朗石榴分支溃疡有关的新镰刀菌

石榴（Punica granatum）原产于伊朗和邻国，并受到多种疾病的负面影响。由石榴丝囊菌和葡萄球菌科成员引起的溃疡病和枯死病是石榴的主要主干疾病。2017年夏季，在Gorgan地区（伊朗东北部Golestan省）的果园中观察到一些幼小的石榴树上的树枝逐渐枯萎。从有症状的组织中分离出具有相似菌落颜色的真菌菌落。确定该病原体的身份为小镰刀菌（Neofusicoccum parvum），基于多相分类学方法，包括分生孢子虫的形态特征和基于ITS‐rDNA区域和翻译延伸因子1α（tef1-α）基因的系统发育推断。Koch的假设是使用切除的射出方法完成的。这项研究提供了有关伊朗石榴引起小枝猪笼草的第一个报告。