Persian lime (Citrus latifolia Tan.) is an important and widely cultivated fruit crop in several regions of Mexico. In recent years, severe symptoms of gummosis, stem cankers, and dieback were detected in the Persian lime-producing region in the states of Veracruz and Puebla, Mexico. The aims of this study were to identify the species of Lasiodiplodia associated with these symptoms, determine the distribution of these species, and test their pathogenicity and virulence on Persian lime plants. In 2015, symptomatic samples were collected from 12 commercial Persian lime orchards, and 60 Lasiodiplodia isolates were obtained. Fungal identification of 32 representative isolates was performed using a phylogenetic analysis based on DNA sequence data of the internal transcribed spacer region and part of the translation elongation factor 1-α and β-tubulin genes. Sequence analyses were carried out using the Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference methods. Six Lasiodiplodia species were identified as Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Lasiodiplodia brasiliense, Lasiodiplodia subglobosa, Lasiodiplodia citricola, and Lasiodiplodia iraniensis. All Lasiodiplodia species of this study are reported for the first time in association with Persian lime in Mexico and worldwide. L. pseudotheobromae (46.9% of isolates) was the most frequently isolated species followed by L. theobromae (28.1%) and L. brasiliense (12.5%). Pathogenicity on Persian lime young plants using a mycelial plug inoculation method showed that all identified Lasiodiplodia species were able to cause necrotic lesions and gummosis, but L. subglobosa, L. iraniensis, and L. pseudotheobromae were the most virulent.

La muerte descendente del limón ‘Persa’ (Citrus latifolia Tan.) causada por Lasiodiplodia spp., es una enfermedad de alta importancia. La intensidad de las podas en limón incrementa la susceptibilidad y la pérdida anual de hasta 35% de árboles, lo que resulta 60% de reducción de la producción. Durante los años 2016 y 2017, en el municipio de Papantla, Veracruz se evaluó la efectividad del control químico y biológico contra Lasiodiplodia spp., después de la poda. Se realizó un diseño de bloques completo al azar, se aplicaron cinco tratamientos: metil tiofanato (1 g L-1), tiabendazole (2.5 g L-1), clorotalonil (3 g L-1) y mancozeb (4 g L-1), Trichoderma harzianum + Trichoderma viridae (20 ml L-1) y un testigo (sin aplicación). Se realizaron dos aspersiones dirigidas a tronco, ramas y follaje hasta punto de goteo. Se evalúo la incidencia y severidad de la enfermedad cada siete días después de la primera aplicación. Con los datos de incidencia se realizó ajuste de modelos epidemiológicos y se calcularon los parámetros descriptivos como: intensidad inicial, tasa de incremento y área bajo la curva del progreso de la enfermedad. El fungicida metil tiofanato tuvo mayor efectividad para el control de la enfermedad, seguido de tiabendazol.