Taxonomic evaluation of powdery mildew fungi detected on vascular plants of Elazig region

Turkiye, a country rich in plant diversity and endemic species, boasts one of its richest regions in Elâzığ. This thesis aims to determine the species content of powdery mildew fungi on vascular plants in the Elâzığ region and to reach a conclusion about the reciprocal relationships, ecology, and distribution of microfungi with their hosts, based on original sources and literature information. As part of this thesis, periodic field surveys were conducted in the Elâzığ region between 2024 and 2025 during various vegetation periods, and 128 plant specimens with powdery mildew were collected from 96 different localities. As a result of naming the vascular plants, 69 genera and 72 plant species belonging to 37 families with powdery mildew were identified. A total of 50 powdery mildew species were detected on the host plants. Powdery mildew species are found in 7 different genera, and the number of powdery mildew species in these genera is determined as Erysiphe (16), Phyllactinia (11), Golovinomyces (10), Leveillula (6), Podosphaera (5), Blumeria (1) and Sawadaea (1). Four of the powdery mildew species we identified in our thesis study are new records for Turkiye. With our thesis study, a comprehensive and detailed taxonomic research on powdery mildew fungi in the Elâzığ region has been carried out for the first time in this field. This study will contribute to the classification of species in the region, the identification of species and the understanding of their diversity.