Endophytic fungal diversity in coffee leaves (Coffea arabica) cultivated using organic and conventional crop management systems

Abstract

Endophytic fungi dwell in the tissues of plants without causing disease symptoms. Coffee production can be performed using conventional or organic crop systems. Studies have been carried out to assess the endophytic fungal community in a conventional coffee crop system. However, little is known about them in organic conditions. Comparisons were made between an endophytic fungal community from leaves of Coffea arabica in organic and conventional crop systems. Mature and healthy leaves of C. arabica were collected from two crop systems during the wet and dry seasons, in the Northeast Brazil. A total of 432 fragments were analyzed and 336 specimens of endophytic fungi were isolated and distributed among 16 genera and 17 species. Colletotrichum gloeosporioides complex and Phyllosticta capitalensis were the most common fungi in conventional and organic crop systems, respectively. The largest number of fungal endophytes was observed during the wet season, although the diversity index and species richness were higher in the dry season. The endophytic fungal communities in conventional and organic crop systems exhibited 50.61% similarity, with six species occurring uniquely in organic and five in conventional coffee. Therefore, more research is needed to confirm that the species could be used as indicators of these management systems.