Colletotrichum gloeosporioides sensu stricto as causal agent of anthracnose on pomegranate fruit in Albania. (November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cara, Magdalena; Mincuzzi, Annamaria; Merkuri, Jordan; Vrapi, Hekuran; Cara, Orges; Ippolito, Antonio; Baroncelli, Riccardo; Sanzani, Simona Marianna
• Is Part Of: Crop protection. Volume 137(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-11
• Subjects: Anthracnose -- Pomegranate -- Pathogenicity -- Multi-locus phylogeny; Plants, Protection of -- Periodicals; 632.05
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cropro.2020.105291
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0261-2194

Abstract

Abstract: In spring 2019, an anthracnose-like disease was observed on fruit in pomegranate orchards of cv. Wonderful in the Fier region of Albania. Disease prevalence in the assayed area ranged from 8 to 10%. Symptoms appeared as light to dark brown circular, sunken lesions with increasing diameter, which then merged. This study aimed to characterize the causal agent on the basis of morphology, molecular phylogeny, and pathogenicity. Micro- and macro-morphological features revealed that the disease-associated fungus belonged to Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex. A multi-locus molecular phylogeny using partial sequences of barcoding genes/regions (ITS, ACT, CHS-1, GAPDH, TUB2, CAL, GS, and ApMat) ascribed strain CG1 to C. gloeosporioides sensu stricto ( s.s. ). Pathogenicity tests, performed by inoculating healthy fruit, confirmed C. gloeosporioides s.s . as causal agent of anthracnose on pomegranate fruit in Albania. Highlights: Anthracnose symptoms were observed on pomegranate fruit in Albania. A fungus resembling Colletotrichum gloeosporioides was consistently isolated. A multi-locus sequencing confirmed it as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides sensu stricto ( s.s. ). The strain fulfilled Koch's postulate. We first report Colletotrichum gloeosporioides s.s. causing pomegranate anthracnose in Albania.