First report of Aplosporella javeedii causing branch blight disease of Mulberry (Morus alba) in China

Mulberry has tremendous economic importance and cultivated widely across China. In June 2018, branch blight disease was found on mulberry (Morus alba) in Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province. Based on morphological characteristics and genetic sequences analysis, the pathogenic fungus was identified as Aplosporella javeedii. The pathogenicity was verified with Koch’s postulates. To our knowledge, this study provides the first report of A. javeedii causing mulberry branch blight in the word.