Abstract:
Globally, foliar pathogenic fungi cause serious losses
of annual and perennial crops, ornamentals, landscape plants
and forest trees. Plant pathogens that infect foliage are a diverse
assemblage of fungi representing both phyla: Ascomycota
and Basidiomycota. Although most of the species found on
living leaves have been well studied by mycologists and plant
pathologists, recent studies have remarkably enhanced the
current understanding of species numbers and their evolutionary
relationships. The impact of global climate change, the increasing
international exchange of plant material and the lack of proper
phytosanitary practices have resulted in the potential reemergences of formerly known destructive fungi, infecting new
hosts in new geographic locations. Routinely inspecting diseased
plants and accurately identifying and naming causative agents
are vital for mitigating the impact of invasive and other nonindigenous pathogens on crops and native flora. It is also necessary
to characterise foliar pathogenic fungi based on molecular
phylogeny, morphology, pathogenicity and the comparative
analysis of fungal genomic data. This review provides an overview
of prevalent groups of foliar pathogenic fungi, their diversity and
economic impact, while emphasising emerging and destructive
species that threaten global food security and ecosystem health.
