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Neofusicoccum species causing branch cankers on avocado in Crete (Greece)

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Abstract

Branch cankers is one of the most important threats to avocado production. During the late summer of 2016, sampling was conducted in the main avocado growing area in Chania Province, Crete, Greece, to study the occurrence of branch cankers and identify the causal agents. Four fungal isolates were identified using a polyphasic approach including morphological characters and a multilocus molecular phylogenetic analysis based on partial sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) translation elongation factor 1alpha gene (tef-1α), beta-tubulin (tub2) and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2). The isolates were identified as Neofusicoccum parvum and N. stellenboschiana. Pathogenicity tests showed both the Neofusicoccum species as pathogenic. To our knowledge, this is the first report of these pathogens causing branch cankers on avocado in Greece.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 Ct, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Vladimiro Guarnaccia

  2. Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (DISAFA), University of Torino, Largo Braccini 2, 10095, Grugliasco, TO, Italy

    Vladimiro Guarnaccia & M. Lodovica Gullino

  3. Centre for Innovation in the Agro-Environmental Sector, AGROINNOVA, University of Torino, Largo Braccini 2, 10095, Grugliasco, TO, Italy

    Vladimiro Guarnaccia & M. Lodovica Gullino

  4. Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Catania, Via S. Sofia 100, 95123, Catania, Italy

    Giancarlo Polizzi

  5. Directorate of Agricultural Economy and Veterinary, Regional Unit of Chania Department of Quality and Phytosanitary Control, Agia, 73103, Chania, Crete, Greece

    Nikos Papadantonakis

Authors
  1. Vladimiro Guarnaccia
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  2. Giancarlo Polizzi
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  3. Nikos Papadantonakis
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  4. M. Lodovica Gullino
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vladimiro Guarnaccia.

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This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors. This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

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Guarnaccia, V., Polizzi, G., Papadantonakis, N. et al. Neofusicoccum species causing branch cankers on avocado in Crete (Greece). J Plant Pathol 102, 1251–1255 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42161-020-00618-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42161-020-00618-y

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