K. Vasileva*

Department of Phytopathology, Faculty of Plant Protection and Agroecology, Agricultural University, 12 Mendeleev, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Abstract. In the period between 2013 and 2014, phytosanitary monitoring was performed to establish the health status of lavender in relation to fungal diseases. During 2013, the diseases spread were investigated on 56.973 ha, and during 2014 – on 218.01 ha, respectively. The calculated disease incidence is 20.84% for the first, and 21.64% for the second year. The data analysis indicates that the phytosanitary situation is very complicated. As a whole, the pathogen infestation on the major varieties at different ages and in different regions was between 3.45% and 53.79%. The percentage of infected plants varies by regions: Karlovo (from 34.08 to 35.65%), Stara Zagora (16.04 – 30.27%), Kazanlak (20.01 – 23.43%), Elhovo (32.67 – 35.10%), Shumen (14.79 – 15.79%). Disease incidenceonthemajorvarietySeuthopolis,in1to3-year-oldlavenderplantationsdiffers:inIganovovillage,Karlovoregionitwas36.18% andinKhanKrum village, Shumen region – 4.73%. This is an indication for the presence of high infection level in lavender fields from the early stages of plant development. It may be due to the usage of infected planting material or to the establishment of new plantations onto old lavender fields. Isolations have been made from different organs of lavender plants affected by pathogens, applying both traditional and specific phytopathological methods. Based on morphological characteristics the following fungi genera have been identified: Phoma (P. lavandulae), Phomopsis (P. lavandulae), Septoria (S. lavandulae), and Phytophthora (P. parasitica and Phytophthora hybrid).