The complexity of the population of Pyrenophora chaetomioides, the major causal agent of the oat (Avena sativa) leaf and kernel spot, is not well known in south Brazil. Therefore, studies on population diversity are useful to the breeding programs aimed at obtaining genetic resistance. In this work, eight isolates were selected from oat seeds harvested in the three southern Brazilian States. In order to test their virulence, the isolates were inoculated on six oat varieties and evaluated for disease severity and lesion type. All cultivars were susceptible to the isolates tested although variation in disease intensity among them was noticed. In another study, the isolates were evaluated in relation to their amilolytic, proteolytic and lipolytic activities on enzyme-specific media. Results from the inoculations on six oat cultivars showed a correlation between higher enzymatic activity and virulence of the isolates. Also, their alpha and beta esterase patterns were compared by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Seven distinct isoenzymatic patterns of alpha and beta esterase were observed among the isolates, although they were not correlated with virulence on oat seedlings
