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Lasiodiplodia species associated with dieback of avocado in the coastal area of Peru

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Abstract

The production of avocado in Peru has been increasing over the last five years and it represents a major export commodity. However, dieback symptoms, typical of Botryosphaeriaceae, have been observed in avocado orchards throughout the country, leading to economic losses. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the diversity and pathogenicity of species associated with dieback of avocado trees, in the Peru’s Pacific coastline. On the basis of morphological and cultural characters, as well as phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and part of the translation elongation factor 1-α gene (tef1-α), the isolates were identified as belonging to three Lasiodiplodia species, namely L. theobromae, L. laeliocattleyae and L. pseudotheobromae. Inoculation in cv. ‘Hass’ plants confirmed the pathogenicity of Lasiodiplodia species and revealed differences in aggressiveness among species and isolates. Lasiodiplodia laeliocattleyae is reported for the first time in avocado trees associated with dieback symptoms, which together with L. theobromae and L. pseudotheobromae may represent a threat to Peruvian avocado plantations.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks are due to the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT/MCTES) for the financial support to CESAM (UIDP/50017/2020 + UIDB/50017/2020), and the PhD grants of Eduardo Batista (PD/BD/135535/2018) and Sandra Hilário (SFRH/BD/137394/2018). This work was also partially financed by Universidad Nacional de Piura, Peru through the Fondo de Desarrollo Universitario (FEDU).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Sanidad Vegetal, Facultad de Agronomia, Universidad Nacional de Piura, Campus Universitario S/N Miraflores, Piura, Peru

    Edgar Rodríguez-Gálvez

  2. CESAM, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

    Sandra Hilário, Eduardo Batista, Anabela Lopes & Artur Alves

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  1. Edgar Rodríguez-Gálvez
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  2. Sandra Hilário
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Correspondence to Artur Alves.

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Rodríguez-Gálvez, E., Hilário, S., Batista, E. et al. Lasiodiplodia species associated with dieback of avocado in the coastal area of Peru. Eur J Plant Pathol 161, 219–232 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-021-02317-5

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