15 Vol. 54 No 1 2008 Fungi threatening the cultivation of sage (Salvia officinalis L.) in south-eastern Poland Fungi threatening the cultivation of sage (Salvia officinalis L.) in south-eastern Poland BEATA ZIMOWSKA Department of Plant Pathology Agricultural University Leszczyńskiego 7 20-069 Lublin, Poland e-mail: beata.zimowska@ar.lublin.pl Summary In 2004–2006 there were studies conducted on fungi colonizing and harming different parts of plants on plantations of sage (Salvia officinalis L.) grouped in south-eastern Poland. Fungi were isolated from roots, the stem base and leaves. The surface was disinfected by means of a mineral medium. Fungi from genera Fusarium, Rhizoctonia solani, Phoma exigua var. exigua were isolated from roots and the lower parts of stems with the symptoms of necrosis and tissue disintegration. The species Phomopsis sclarea, which had not been observed earlier in Poland, was obtained from the stems with the symptoms of necrosis, peeling off and bark breaking. Altenaria alternata was commonly isolated from the leaves with necrotic symptoms. Key words: sage, Salvia officinalis, fungi INTRODUCTION Sage (Salvia officinalis L.) from the Labiatae family is a herb frequently cultivated in south-eastern Poland. A good phytosanitary state of plants during their cultivation is a condition for a high quality yield and raw material of Folia salviae and Herba salviae [1, 2]. The most important infectious diseases of sage in European countries are antracnosis caused by Colletotrichum dematium, ascochitosis caused by Ascochyta sclarea and root rot caused by Rhizoctonia solani [3, 4]. Economically important pat- hogens in Italy and Spain include Phomopsis sclarea, Phodosphaera inequalis, Erysiphae polygoni and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum [3]. In 1995 massive dying out of sage seedlings infected by Fusarium oxysporum was observed in California, USA [3].