In Algeria, corn crops rely on imported seeds, which can potentially introduce seed-borne pathogens to the country. Bipolaris maydis is one of these threatening pathogens; it is the causal agent of southern corn leaf blight, one of the most common and serious foliar diseases of corn worldwide. During a seed control aiming to detect potential fungal pathogens among imported corn seeds in Algeria, seed samples from different countries were collected from seed stores used by farmers across the country and tested using the freezing blotter method. B. maydis was isolated from one sample seeds and then characterized using morphological and cultural features, as well as Koch’s postulates. Additionally, the two internal transcribed spacers with the intervening 5.8S (ITS) and a partial glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (GAPDH) were amplified and sequenced, followed by a phylogenetic analysis. Based on these features and sequence data analysis, the fungus was identified as Bipolaris maydis (teleomorph: Cochliobolus heterostrophus). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of this pathogen in Algeria, highlighting the importance of field surveys for early diagnosis and the prevention of corn field infections.

在阿尔及利亚，玉米作物依赖进口种子，这可能会将种子传播的病原体引入该国。 玉米双极杆菌是这些威胁病原体之一；它是南方玉米叶枯病的病原体，而南方玉米叶枯病是全世界玉米最常见和最严重的叶部病害之一。在旨在检测阿尔及利亚进口玉米种子中潜在真菌病原体的种子控制过程中，从该国农民使用的种子商店收集了来自不同国家的种子样本，并使用冷冻吸墨纸法进行了测试。 B. maydis 从一个样本种子中分离出来，然后使用形态和文化特征以及科赫假设进行表征。此外，还对两个内转录间隔区以及插入的 5.8S (ITS) 和部分甘油醛-3-磷酸脱氢酶基因 (GAPDH) 进行了扩增和测序，然后进行系统发育分析。根据这些特征和序列数据分析，该真菌被鉴定为Bipolaris maydis（有性型：Cochliobolus heterostropus a>)。据我们所知，这是阿尔及利亚首次报告这种病原体，凸显了现场调查对于早期诊断和预防玉米田感染的重要性。