[3] Different individual strains in a singular geographic region have shown highly variable numbers of these enzymes and, therefore, variation in virulence.

[3] A. carthami is a necrotrophic pathogen (feeding on the dead tissues of plants they have killed) of safflower that only produces an anamorph.

These countries are located across all continents (except Antarctica) including India, Australia, USA, Israel, Russia, East Africa, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Ethiopia, Germany, Italy, Kenya, New Zealand, Pakistan, Romania, Spain, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

[4] This pathogen can lead to severe crop loss with a decrease in yield of up to 90% depending on how optimal conditions are for conidiophore growth.

[4][6] The preference of the fungus for humid, moist environments has limited safflower commercial cultivation to hot and arid parts of the world in order to slow fungal growth.

[5] The fungus can infect safflower in all growth stages and is seen through brown lesions on the plant body, most prominently on the leaves.

[citation needed] These small spots will turn into larger irregular concentric rings on mature leaves and can begin to discolor the stem as well.

[citation needed] These lesions are usually bigger than the actual colonized area due to phytotoxin production killing surrounding plant cells.

[3] Many commercially available chemical fungicides are unable to fully eradicate A. carthami in safflower seeds due to the internal infection.

[citation needed] Antifungal plant extracts are also being tested as a management option against A. carthami as an alternative to environmentally harmful chemicals.