March 21, 2025 | Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology |
Anthracnose disease in pitaya (Hylocereus spp.) occurring in Alagoas and Bahia was the focus of a study conducted by researchers from Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Brazil. Pitaya, a tropical fruit native to parts of Central America, has become an important crop in Brazil, but its cultivation is challenged by emerging plant diseases.
Researchers collected samples from fruits and cladodes showing anthracnose symptoms. Fungal isolates were obtained and identified through morphological features and multigene sequence analyses, including GAPDH, ACT, TUB2, ITS, and ApMAT markers. The analyses confirmed the presence of four Colletotrichum species: C. chrysophilum, C. siamense, C. theobromicola, and C. truncatum.
Pathogenicity tests showed that all identified isolates were capable of causing typical anthracnose lesions—brown, sunken spots—on pitaya fruit and cladodes. Notably, this study reports for the first time that C. chrysophilum and C. theobromicola can cause anthracnose in pitaya, expanding the known host range of these species.
The findings highlight the importance of accurate pathogen identification for disease management in pitaya cultivation and call for further monitoring and development of control strategies against these fungal pathogens in Brazil.
