Stemphylium vesicarium, causal agent of severe foliar blight on garlic and onion in Merida, Venezuela

The causal agent of severe foliar blight on garlic (Allium sativum) and on onion (Allium cepa) at the Rangel and Sucre municipalities of Merida State, was identified as Stemphylium vesicarium (Wallr) E. Simmons. Disease symptoms were reproduced on seedlings of garlic 'Mejicano Rojo' and onion 'Yellow Granex', inoculated by spraying a conidial suspension of isolate obtained from garlic 'Mejicano Rojo'. Inoculum identity was confirmed on infected leaves that 15 days after inoculation were incubated in a moist chamber until the appearance of conidiophores and conidia. The present paper is the first report of S. vesicarium causing severe leaf blight disease on garlic and onion in Venezuela.