Characterization and identification of fungicide insensitive Pestalotiopsis-like species pathogenic to tea crop in India.

Gray blight, a fungal disease caused by Pestalotiopsis-like species, is a widespread disease affecting tea crop (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze) in many tea-growing countries, including India, resulting in huge losses in tea production. In India, several studies have been conducted to understand the fungal diseases of tea crop, but gray blight has not been well described in major tea growing areas such as in North Bengal, based on its geographic distribution, molecular analysis, or pathogenicity, and even fungicide resistance.