{
  "id": 9704111,
  "title": "Occurrence, incidence, and severity of Alternaria leaf spot of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in major cotton-growing districts of the Lake Zone, Tanzania",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/occurrence-incidence-and-severity-of-alternaria-leaf-spot-of-cotton",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.24.754005v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Background: Alternaria leaf spot (ALS), caused by fungi in the genus Alternaria (family Pleosporaceae), is a significant fungal disease that affects cotton production in the Lake Zone of Tanzania, the country's main cotton-producing region. The disease reduces photosynthetic capacity, boll retention, and fiber quality, leading to substantial yield losses in affected fields. Despite its increasing…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}