March 21, 2025 | Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology |
A study aiming to identify the causal agents of anthracnose affecting pitaya (Hylocereus spp.) fruits and cladodes in the states of Alagoas and Bahia, Brazil, was conducted by researchers from Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Brazil. Pitaya is a tropical fruit native to regions of southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Costa Rica, and its cultivation has expanded in Brazil. The emergence of anthracnose symptoms has raised concerns for crop health and productivity.
Fungal isolates were obtained from symptomatic plant tissues and identified through morphological characterization and multigene phylogenetic analysis using GAPDH, ACT, TUB2, ITS, and ApMAT gene regions. The analysis confirmed the presence of four Colletotrichum species: C. chrysophilum, C. siamense, C. theobromicola, and C. truncatum.
Pathogenicity tests showed that all isolates were capable of inducing anthracnose symptoms, such as brown, sunken lesions on both fruits and cladodes. Notably, this study represents the first global report of C. chrysophilum and C. theobromicola as causal agents of anthracnose in pitaya.
The findings expand current knowledge of pitaya pathogens and highlight the importance of monitoring and identifying emerging fungal species for effective disease management in pitaya cultivation.
