Phytopathologia Mediterranea (Feb 2015)

A new disease of <em>Erica arborea</em> in Italy caused by <em>Neofusicoccum luteum</em>

  • Benedetto LINALDEDDU,
  • Bruno SCANU,
  • Salvatore SEDDAIU,
  • Antonio DEIDDA,
  • Lucia MADDAU,
  • Antonio FRANCESCHINI

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14601/Phytopathol_Mediterr-14047
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 54, no. 1

Abstract

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Shoot blight was observed on Erica arborea L., in a natural growing area on Caprera Island (Italy), during 2011 and 2012. Fungal isolates obtained from 324 symptomatic shoots were identified as Neofusicoccum luteum by analysis of morphological and cultural characteristics, as well as DNA sequence data of the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) of the ribosomal DNA and part of the translation Elongation Factor 1-alpha (EF-1α) gene. Pathogenicity of the fungus was verified by stem inoculation of 3-year-old seedlings of E. arborea. This is the first report of N. luteum as a pathogen of E. arborea.

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