Identification of Fungi in the Botryosphaeriaceae Family Associated with Stem Blight of Vaccinium spp. in the Southeastern United States. Issue 5 (May 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Flor, Norma C.; Wright, Amanda F.; Huguet-Tapia, Jose; Harmon, Philip F.; Liberti, Daniel
• Is Part Of: Fungal biology. Volume 126:Issue 5(2022)
• Page Start: 342
• Page End: 355
• Publication Date: 2022-05
• Subjects: Stem blight -- Dieback -- Blueberry -- Botryosphaeria -- Lasiodiplodia -- Neofusicoccum -- Phylogenetic analyses -- PCR -- RFLP; SHB southern highbush blueberry -- REB rabbiteye blueberry -- NHB northern highbush blueberry; Mycology -- Periodicals; Fungi -- Periodicals; 579.505
• DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2022.03.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1878-6146

Abstract

Abstract: Stem blight is a major disease of blueberry caused by Botryosphaeriaceae fungi. Chemical and cultural management options are limited, putting emphasis on breeding efforts to identify sources of resistance. The efficacy and durability of host resistance could be impacted by the species composition of the pathogen population in a region and by the isolates employed in the screenings used to identify the resistance. Samples (365) were collected from southern highbush (SHB) and rabbiteye blueberry (REB) cultivars from 28 sites in the southeastern US (AL, FL, GA, NC, and SC). Colony morphology identified 86% of the isolates as Botryosphaeriaceae. Conidia morphology and Maximum Likelihood analysis of the Internal Transcribed Spacer rDNA regions (ITS), translation elongation factor one alpha ( tef1 -α), and β-tubulin were used to identify isolates at genera or species level. A PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) test was used to identify isolates to genus. Neofusicoccum and Lasiodiplodia were the predominant genera. N. kwambonambiense, N. ribis, L. theobromae and L. pseudotheobromae were the most common species isolated. Phylogenies conducted with a limited number of isolates indicated non-clonal and potentially diverse populations occur on blueberry that warrant additional study. Botryosphaeria corticis, B. dothidea, and Diplodia seriata were isolated infrequently. Highlights: Neofusicoccum is the most common genus associated with stem blight and dieback of blueberries. Lasiodiplodia was the second most common genus associated with symptoms. Phylogenies indicated that isolates cladded with N. kwambonanbiense and N. ribis. Some isolates of the survey cladded with L. theobromae and L. pseudotheobromae. The PCR-RFLP identifies four genera of the Botryosphaeriaceae family.