Identification and Characterization of Fungal Pathogens Contributing to Citrus Twig Dieback in Kerman Province, Iran

Maryam Rouzbeh

Abstract


Citrus decline with complex symptoms was recently observed in Kerman province, reducing the annual yield of citrus fruits. Agents that cause citrus decline include fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes, and abiotic factors. One of the most important symptoms of citrus decline is branch dieback. In this study, the fungal agent responsible for dieback was identified. To achieve this goal, sampling was conducted in citrus orchards with symptoms of twig dieback and twig canker in the summer of 2020. Samples were collected from different areas of the citrus growing region of Kerman province, including Bam, Rigan, Narmashir, Fahraj, Shahdad, and Orzueeh. Fungi were isolated from diseased branches on nutrient culture medium. The resulting fungi were identified using morphological characteristics. The following fungi were isolated from diseased plants: Alternaria spp., Nattrassia mangiferae, Ulocladium spp., Bipolaris spp., Fusarium spp., Phoma sp., Rhizoctonia sp., Paecilomyces spp., Chaetomium spp., Acremonium spp., Stemphylium sp., and Cladosporium spp. Notably, Alternaria spp. exhibited the highest frequency and widest distribution among them, making it the most prevalent fungus throughout all citrus-growing regions of Kerman province. N. mangiferae was the second most frequently isolated fungus. Pathogenicity tests were performed by artificially inoculating two-year-old lemon trees under controlled conditions. All fungal genera except Chaetomium sp. and Cladosporium spp. were virulent. N. mangiferae was the most virulent fungus and caused the most severe cankers six weeks after inoculation. It also had the greatest discoloration compared to other fungi in these tests


Keywords


Citrus dieback; Canker; Fungi; Pathogenicity; Virulence

Full Text:

PDF

References


Adesemoye, A., Eskalen, A., Faber, B., O’Connell, N., 2011. Current knowledge on Fusarium dry root rot of citrus. Citrograph 2(7), 29-33.

Anonymous, 2021. Agricultural Statistics, 2021 volume 3 (Horticultural Products).

Akimitsu, K., Peever, T.L., Timmer, L.W., 2003. Molecular, ecological and evolutionary approaches to understanding Alternaria diseases of citrus. Molecular Plant Pathology 4(6), 435-446.

Ali, S.R., Snyder, J., Shehzad, M., Khalid, A.U.R., Rashad, S., 2014. Associations among fungi, bacteria, and phytoplasma in trees suffering citrus decline in Punjab. Journal of Agricultural Technology 10(5), 1343-1352.

Alizadeh, A., Heidarian, A., Farrokhi-Nejad, R., 2000. Citrus branch wilt, decline and death caused by Nattrassia mangiferae and its other hosts in Khuzestan province. Iranian Journal of Plant Pathology 36(1-2).

Aminaei, M.M., Ershad, J., 1993. Incidence of Nattrassia mangiferae in Kerman province, proceeding of the 11th Iranian plant protection, p. 218.

Dugan, F. M., 2006. The identification of fungi: an illustrated introduction with keys, glossary, and guide to literature. American Phytopathological Society (APS Press).

El-Ganainy, S.M., Ismail, A.M., Iqbal, Z., Elshewy, E.S., Alhudaib, K.A., Almaghasla, M.I., Magistà, D., 2022. Diversity among Lasiodiplodia species causing dieback, root rot and leaf spot on fruit trees in Egypt, and a description of Lasiodiplodia newvalleyensis sp. nov. Journal of Fungi 8(11), 1203.

Espargham, N., Mohammadi, H., Gramaje, D., 2020. A survey of trunk disease pathogens within citrus trees in Iran. Plants 9(6), 754.

Fateh, F.S., Kazmi, M.R., Arif, A.M., Ahmad, I., Rashid, A., 2016. Role of different fungi for development of decline symptoms in citrus, mango and guava. Science International 28, 1263-1267.

Fateh, F.S., Mukhtar, T., Kazmi, M.R., Abbassi, N.A., Arif, A.M., 2017. Prevalence of citrus decline in district Sargodha. Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences 54(1), 9-13.

Fayyeaz, A., Bonello, P., Tufail, M.R., Amrao, L., Habib, A., Gai, Y., Sahi, S.T., 2018. First report of citrus withertip (tip dieback), a disease complex caused by Colletotrichum siamense and Lasiodiplodia iraniensis, on Citrus reticulata cv. Kinnow in Punjab, Pakistan. Plant Disease 102(12), 2659.

Ferrari, F.D., Ochoa, C.F.M., Subero, M.L.J., 1996. Die back and gummosis induced by Lasiodiplodia theobromae (Pat.) Griffon and Maubl on three citrus tree species. Anales de Botanica Agricola 3, 46-49.

Ghelichi, M., Mohammadi, A., Haghdel, M., Eskandari, A., 2012. Distribution of pistachio die-back in Khorasan-Razavi province and application of some fungicides for the disease control. Journal of Nuts 3(02, 01), 23-28.

Guarnaccia, V., Crous, P.W., 2017. Emerging citrus diseases in Europe caused by species of Diaporthe. IMA Fungus 8 (2), 317-334.

Irshad, U., Mukhtar, T., Ashfaq, M., Kayani, M.Z., Kayani, S.B., Hanif, M., Aslam, S., 2012. Pathogenicity of citrus nematode (Tylenchulus semipenetrans) on Citrus jambhiri. Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences 22(4), 1014-1018.

Keshavarz, K., Keveshk, N.M., 2016. First report of dieback of citrus trees caused by Nattrassia mangiferae in south of Iran. Asian Journal of Biological and Life Sciences 5(3), 291-299.

Mahadevakumar, S., Yadav, V., Tejaswini, G.S., Sandeep, S.N., Janardhana, G.R., 2014. First report of Phomopsis citri associated with dieback of citrus lemon in India. Plant Disease 98(9), 1281.

Mayorquin, J.S., Nouri, M.T., Peacock, B.B., Trouillas, F.P., Douhan, G.W., Kallsen, C., Eskalen, A., 2019. Identification, pathogenicity and spore trapping of Colletotrichum karstii associated with twig and shoot dieback in California. Plant disease 103(7), 1464-1473.

Mayorquin, J.S., Wang, D.H., Barcinas, J., Bender, G., Eskalen, A., 2013. Understanding citrus branch canker and dieback in the southern California desert regions (not just Hendersonula).

Mayorquin, J.S., Wang, D.H., Twizeyimana, M., Eskalen, A., 2016. Identification, distribution and pathogenicity of Diatrypaceae and Botryosphaeriaceae associated with citrus branch canker in the southern California desert. Plant disease 100(12), 2402-2413.

Meena, A.K., Dutta, F., Marak, M.C., Meena, R.K., 2018. Citrus decline. Journal homepage: http://www. ijcmas. com, 7(04), 2018.

Mirzaee, M.R., Mohammadi, M., Rahimian, H., 2002. Nattrassia mangiferae, the cause of die‐back and trunk cankers of Ficus religiosa and branch wilt of Psidium guajava in Iran. Journal of Phytopathology 150(4‐5), 244-247.

Najafiniya, M., 2016. Management of citrus die-back disease. University of Yasouj Plant Pathology Science 5(1), 26-36.

Nicoletti, R., 2019. Endophytic fungi of citrus plants. Agriculture 9(12), 247.

Olsen, M.W., 2000. Diseases of citrus in Arizona.

Polanco Florián, L.G., Alvarado Gómez, O.G., Pérez González, O., González Garza, R., Olivares Sáenz, E., 2019. Fungi associated with the regressive death of citrus fruits in Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas, Mexico. Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Agrícolas 10(4), 757-764.

Saeed, M., Mukhtar, T., Rehman, M.A., 2019. Temporal fluctuations in the population of citrus nematode (Tylenchulus semipenetrans) in the Pothowar region of Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Zoology, 51(6): 2257-2263.

Sandoval-Denis, M., Guarnaccia, V., Polizzi, G. and Crous, P. W., 2018. Symptomatic citrus trees reveal a new pathogenic lineage in Fusarium and two new Neocosmospora species. Persoonia-Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi 40(1), 1-25.

Tennant, P. F., Robinson, D., Fisher, L., Bennett, S. M., Hutton, D., Coates-Beckford, P. and Mc Laughlin, W., 2009. Diseases and pests of citrus (Citrus spp.). Tree and Forestry Science and Biotechnology 3(2), 81-107.

Tsahouridou, P. C. and Thanassoulopoulos, C. C., 2000. First report of Alternaria alternata as a dieback pathogen of kiwifruit. Plant Disease 84(3), 371-371.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.33804/pp.007.03.4740

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.