Internal fruit rot of sweet pepper caused by Fusarium lactis in Japan and fungal pathogenicity on tomato and eggplant fruits

A postharvest rot of ripe sweet pepper fruits was found in Kagawa Prefecture in western Japan in October 2002. A fungus, isolated repeatedly from the diseased fruits and identified as Fusarium lactis , was demonstrated to be pathogenic on wounded fruits of sweet pepper. The disease was diagnosed as an internal fruit rot that had been noted abroad. The disease and the fungus were judged new in Japan. The fungal isolate was also pathogenic on wounded fruits of tomato and eggplant.