Identification and Pathogenicity of Lasiodiplodia Species from Eucalyptus urophylla × grandis, Polyscias balfouriana and Bougainvillea spectabilis in Southern China

Abstract

Species of Lasiodiplodia are important pathogens of a wide variety of plants covering a wide geographical distribution. These fungi can be associated with different symptoms such as stem cankers, shoot blights, fruit rots, dieback and gummosis. Diseases caused by Lasiodiplodia were surveyed on Eucalyptus urophylla 9 grandis, Polyscias balfouriana and Bougainvillea spectabilis in a nursery in southern China. Based on morphology characteristics and phylogenetic analyses of ITS rDNA sequences and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF-1a) gene regions, four species of Lasiodiplodia were identified. Lasiodiplodia theobromae was identified from E. urophylla 9 grandis, P. balfouriana and B. spectabilis. L. hormozganensis, L. iraniensis and L. pseudotheobromae were identified from B. spectabilis. To our knowledge, with the exception of L. theobromae on E. urophylla 9 grandis, this study represents the first report of these fungi on the host plants. Pathogenicity tests showed that all Lasiodiplodia spp. obtained in this study are virulent to E. urophylla 9 grandis and B. spectabilis, and L. theobromae was virulent to P. balfouriana.

Botryosphaeriaceae from Eucalyptus plantations and adjacent plants in China

“…Relatively little research has been conducted on diseases caused by Botryosphaeriaceae on Eucalyptus trees in China ( Chen et al 2011c , Li et al 2015a ). Based on DNA sequence comparisons and morphological features, five species of Botryosphaeriaceae have been identified from Eucalyptus in China to date, including Botryosphaeria fabicerciana from FuJian, GuangXi and HaiNan Provinces, Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae from GuangXi Province, L. theobromae from GuangDong and GuangXi Provinces, Neofusicoccum parvum from FuJian and GuangXi Provinces and N. ribis s.lat.…”

“…Based on DNA sequence comparisons and morphological features, five species of Botryosphaeriaceae have been identified from Eucalyptus in China to date, including Botryosphaeria fabicerciana from FuJian, GuangXi and HaiNan Provinces, Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae from GuangXi Province, L. theobromae from GuangDong and GuangXi Provinces, Neofusicoccum parvum from FuJian and GuangXi Provinces and N. ribis s.lat. from FuJian Province ( Chen et al 2011c , Li et al 2015a ). These species were collected from cankered stems and blighted branches or twigs, and pathogenicity tests showed that all five species could produce lesions on Eucalyptus seedlings or trees ( Chen et al 2011c , Li et al 2015a ).…”

“…from FuJian Province ( Chen et al 2011c , Li et al 2015a ). These species were collected from cankered stems and blighted branches or twigs, and pathogenicity tests showed that all five species could produce lesions on Eucalyptus seedlings or trees ( Chen et al 2011c , Li et al 2015a ).…”

“…In China, species of Botryosphaeriaceae also have been isolated from a number of other woody and horticultural plants, including Acacia confusa ( Zhao et al 2010 ), Actinidia chinensis ( Zhou et al 2015 ), Bougainvillea spectabilis , Polyscias balfouriana ( Li et al 2015a ), Juglans regia ( Li et al 2015b , Yu et al 2015 ), Malus domestica ( Tang et al 2012 , Xu et al 2015a ), Rosa rugosa ( Chen et al 2016 ), Vitis vinifera ( Yan et al 2012 , 2013 ) and Vaccinium corymbosum ( Xu et al 2015b ). Botryosphaeriaceae species identified from these plants resided in Botryosphaeria , Lasiodiplodia and Neofusicoccum .…”

Botryosphaeriaceae species causing dieback on Annonaceae in Brazil

“…(Abdollahzadeh et al, 2010). This fungus was also found in Bougainvillea spectabilis in China (Li et al, 2015), Adansonia digitata in Benin, Cameroon, Madagascar, Mozambique, Senegal and South Africa (Cruywagen et al, 2017), among others. In Brazil, this species was one of the most prevalent in the northeastern region, associated with stem-end rot on mango trees (Marques et al, 2013a), and it was reported causing dieback on Anacardium sp.…”