Pathogenicity of Curvularia geniculata Causing Ear Rot in Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica) in China.

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) an economically important crop globally, particularly in China. In 2021, a foxtail millet ear rot disease was first found in Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province, China. Symptomatic tissues were sampled, and the fungal isolate GZWB008 was identified as Curvularia geniculata based on morphological characteristics and ITS, GAPDH and RPB2 gene sequence analyses. Pathogenicity was confirmed by artificial inoculation, which produced symptoms consistent with those observed in the field. Koch's postulates were fulfilled by re‐isolation of C. geniculata from inoculated symptomatic ears. This is the first report confirming C. geniculata as a causal agent of ear rot in foxtail millet, expanding knowledge of its host range and highlighting its potential threat to millet production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]