Woody Canker and Shoot Blight Caused by Botryosphaeriaceae and Diaporthaceae on Mango and Litchi in Italy

Abstract

In recent years, the cultivation of tropical fruit crops has increased in the Mediterranean basin, especially in southern Italy. In surveys conducted from 2014 to 2019 woody canker and shoot blight were observed on mango plants (cvs. Kent, Keitt, Sensation, Osteen, and Kensington Pride) and litchi plants (cvs. Way Chee and Kwai Mai Pink) cultivated in Sicily. Botryosphaeriaceae and Diaporthaceae were consistently isolated from symptomatic samples. Morphological characterization and multi-locus phylogenies using three genomic loci (a portion of translation elongation factor 1-α gene, a portion of the β-tubulin gene, and an internal transcribed spacer) identified these fungi as Neofusicoccum parvum, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Botryosphaeria dothidea, Diaporthe foeniculina, and Diaporthe baccae on mango and Diaporthe foeniculina and Diaporthe rudis on litchi. Pathogenicity tests on healthy mango (cv. Kensington Pride) and litchi (cv. Way Chee) plants demonstrated the pathogenicity of the isolates used in the study, and Koch’s postulates were fulfilled for all pathogens. To our knowledge, this is the first report of L. theobromae, B. dothidea, and Diaporthe species on mango in Italy and the first report worldwide of woody canker and shoot blight caused by D. foeniculina and D. rudis on litchi plants.