Abstract
Shoot blights and fruit rots comprise the most serious diseases of peaches in Greece. In this study, the importance of the fungus Neofusicoccum parvum as a casual agent of a fruit rot and shoot blight of peach trees in Greece was investigated. This pathogen was isolated from both immature and mature peach fruit of the cultivar “Catherine” and later on from mature fruit of the peach cultivars “Andross”, “RedHaven”, “Sun Crest” and “Sun Cloud”. In the first year of investigation, N. parvum was found causing preharvest fruit rot and shoot blights of peach trees only at the location “Ammos-Mesi-Meliki Verias” in the prefecture of Imathia (the main peach production area of Greece) at incidences of 30 and 8%, respectively. However, in 2006 N. parvum was isolated from more locations such as Diavatos, Veria, Kopanos and Agia Marina in the prefecture of Imathia, but only at less than 3% of the total surveyed rotted peach fruit and blighted shoots. The pathogen overwintered as sub-epidermal pycnidia in blighted shoots or mummified fruit that remained on peach trees. This study also showed that the optimum temperature for mycelial growth and conidial germination of N. parvum was 25 ºC. Pathogenicity tests using peach fruit showed that isolates of N. parvum and Diplodia seriata (isolated from pistachio grown in the same region) showed no significant differences in their virulence. In laboratory inoculation tests using detached shoots from 25 peach and nectarine cultivars, N. parvum isolates obtained from rotted peaches caused different size cankers on these cultivars. The cultivar Big Top was the most susceptible while the cultivar Maria Bianca the least susceptible.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amponsah, N. T., Jones, E. E., Ridgway, H. J., & Jaspers, M. V. (2008). Production of Botryosphaeria species conidia using grapevine green shoots. New Zealand Plant Protection, 61, 301–305.
Amponsah, N. T., Jones, E. E., Ridgway, H. J., & Jaspers, M. V. (2009). Factors that affect the infection of grapevine tissues with Botryosphaeria species. Phytopathologia Mediterranea, 48, 176–176.
Beckman, T. G., & Reilly, C. C. (2005). Relative susceptibility of peach cultivars to fungal gummosis (Botryosphaeria dothidea). Journal American Pomological Society, 59, 111–116.
Beckman, T. G., Pusey, P. L., & Bertrand, P. F. (2003). Impact of fungal gummosis on peach trees. Hortscience, 38, 1141–1143.
Brown, E. A., & Britton, K. O. (1986). Botryosphaeria diseases of apple and peach in the southeastern United States. Plant Disease, 70, 480–484.
Caponero, A., Vena, G. M., & Frisullo, S. (1999). Preliminary studies of canker in stone fruits in the Metaponto region. Italus Hortus, 6, 107–108.
Caponero, A., Vena, G. M., Lops, F., Carlucci, A., & Frisullo, S. (2001). A “gummosis disease” of peach trees caused by Botriosphaeria dothidea (Moug.:Fr.) Ces. & De Not. in Italy. Informatore Fitopatologico, 51, 67–70.
Cedelo, L., Mohali, S., & Carrero, C. (1994). First report in Venezuela of Dothiorella dothidea as the cause of brown rot of peach fruits. Fitopatologia Venezolana, 7, 34–36.
Combrink, J. C., Fourie, J. F., & Grobbelaar, C. J. (1984). Botryosphaeria spp. on decayed deciduous fruits in South Africa. Phytophylactica, 16, 251–253.
Crous, W. P., Wingfield, M. J., & Phillips, A. J. L. (2007). Neofusicoccum mediterraneum Crous, M.J. Wingf. & A.J.L. Phillips, sp. nov. Fungal Planet 19.
Damm, U., Crous, P. W., & Fourie, P. H. (2007). Botryosphaeriaceae as potential pathogens of Prunus species in South Africa, with descriptions of Diplodia africana and Lasiodiplodia plurivora sp. nov. Mycologia, 99, 664–680.
Espinoza, J. G., Briceno, E. X., Chavez, E. R., Urbez-Torres, J. R., & Latorre, B. A. (2009). Neofusicoccum spp. associated with stem canker and dieback of blueberry in Chile. Plant Disease, 93, 1187–1194.
Inderbitzin, P., Bostock, R. M., Trouillas, F. P., & Michailides, T. J. (2010) Species of Botryosphaeriaceae from almond in California: Diversity, host range and the new species Neofusicoccum nonquaesitum based on phylogenetic analyses of six loci. Mycologia, 102, 1350–1368.
Laveau, C., Letouze, A., Louvet, G., Bastien, S., & Guerin-Dubrana, L. (2009). Differential aggressiveness of fungi implicated in esca and associated diseases of grapevine in France. Phytopathologie Mediterranea, 48, 32–36.
Ma, Z. H., & Michailides, T. J. (2002). Characterization of Botryosphaeria dothidea isolates collected from pistachio and other plant hosts in California. Phytopathology, 92, 519–526.
Ma, Z. H., Boehm, E. W. A., Luo, Y., & Michailides, T. J. (2001). Population structure of Botryosphaeria dothidea from pistachio and other hosts in California. Phytopathology, 91, 665–672.
Matheron, M. E., & Mircetich, J. C. (1985). Seasonal variation in susceptibility of Juglans hindsii and Paradox rootstocks of English walnut trees to Phytophthora citricola. Phytopathology, 75, 970–972.
McDonald, V., Lynch, S., & Eskalen, A. (2009). First report of Neofusicoccum australe, N. luteum, and N. parvum associated with avocado branch canker in california. Plant Disease, 93, 967.
Michailides, T. J. (1991). Pathogenicity, distribution, sources of inoculum, and infection courts of Botryosphaeria dothidea on pistachio. Phytopathology, 81, 566–573.
Moral, J., Muñoz-Díez, C., González, N., Trapero, A., & Michailides, T. J. (2010). Characterization and pathogenicity of Botryosphaeriaceae species collected from olive and other hosts in Spain and California. Phytopathology, 100, 1340–1351.
Okie, W. R., & Pusey, P. L. (1996). USDA peach breeding in Georgia: current status and breeding for resistance to Botryosphaeria. Acta Horticulturae, 374, 151–158.
Pantidou, E. M. (1973). List of fungi and hosts in Greece (pp. 223–234). Kifisia, Athens: (Greek), Benaki Phytopathological Institute.
Pavlic, D., Slippers, B., Coutinho, T. A., & Wingfield, M. J. (2009). Molecular and phenotypic characterization of three phylogenetic species discovered within the Neofusicoccum parvum/N-ribis complex. Mycologia, 101, 636–637.
Pitt, W. M., Huang, R., Steel, C. C., & Savocchia, S. (2009). Identification, distribution and current taxonomy of Botryosphaeriaceae species associated with grapevine decline in New South Wales and South Australia. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, 16, 258–271.
Ploetz, C. R., Pérez-Martínez, J. M., Palmateer, J. A., & Tarnowski, T. L. (2009). Neofusicoccum parvum–Induced dieback of Eugenia. Syzygium paniculatum Plant Disease, 93, 804–808.
Rumbos, I. C., & Phillips, A. J. L. (2005). A new disease of kiwifruit caused by Botryosphaeria parva. South African Journal of Science, 101, XXII.
Slippers, B., Smit, W. A., Crous, P. W., Coutinho, T. A., Wingfield, B. D., & Wingfield, M. J. (2007). Taxonomy, phylogeny and identification of Botryosphaeriaceae associated with pome and stone fruit trees in South Africa and other regions of the world. Plant Pathology, 56, 128–139.
Slippers, B., Burgess, T., Pavlic, D., Ahumada, R., Maleme, H., Mohali, S., et al. (2009). A diverse assemblage of Botryosphaeriaceae infect Eucalyptus in native and non-native environments. Southern Forests, 71, 101–110.
Tsopelas, P., Slippers, B., Wingfield, M. J., & Gkonou Zagkou, Z. (2008) Προσβολή δένδρων Sequoiadendron giganteum στην Ελλάδα από το μύκητα Neofusicoccum parvum. 14th National Congress of Hellenic Phytopathological Society, 7–10 October, Argolida Greece (Greek).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Thomidis, T., Michailides, T.J. & Exadaktylou, E. Neofusicoccum parvum associated with fruit rot and shoot blight of peaches in Greece. Eur J Plant Pathol 131, 661–668 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-011-9840-0
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-011-9840-0