Phoma destructiva causing blight of tomato plants: a new fungal threat for tomato plantations in Brazil?

Abstract

Solanum lycopersicum is among the most important crops in Brazil. This crop is affected by a large range of fungal diseases that are recognized as major limitations for tomato production. Recently, plants grown in a greenhouse in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, were found to bear severe blight symptoms. A pycnidial coelomycete was repeatedly found in association with necrotic tissues. The fungus had its morphology recognized as equivalent to that of Phoma and related genera. A phylogenetic analysis based on nrDNA (ITS) and partial β-tubulin (TUB) sequences led to the conclusion that the fungus involved was Phoma destructiva. Pathogenicity tests showed that, after 5 days, blight symptoms developed on leaves, flowers and stems of plants belonging to thirteen different tomato varieties tested. This fungal species is mostly known for causing post-harvest tomato rot, which is only regarded as a secondary disease in Brazil. This is in disagreement with the observations made in this work. Here, the disease symptoms caused by the fungus were very severe, fully justifying the scientific name of the pathogen. Under favorable environmental conditions, aggressive strains of P. destructiva, such as the one isolated in this study, may become significant threats to tomato plantations in Brazil.

Potential Role of Phoma spp. for Mycogenic Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles

“…Phoma species are reported from plants as pathogens (Rai and Misra 1981;Agrawal and Mishra 1981;Rao and Thirumalachar 1981;Davari and Hajieghrari 2008;Aveskamp et al 2008;Lopez and Gomez-Gomez 2009;Pellegrino et al 2010;Garibaldi et al 2010;Quiroz et al 2014;Gilardi et al 2017;Colmán et al 2018;Basavand et al 2020;Yarmalovich and Siaredzich Fig. 17.1 Typical ostiolate pycnidia of Phoma sp.…”

Diseases of Vegetables Caused by Phoma spp.

“…In 2013, tomato plants cultivated in the Cameron Highlands, Pahang State, Malaysia, had extensive fruit, stem, and leaf spots (Rashid et al 2016). Phoma was recently recorded, causing severe blight symptoms on greenhouse-grown tomatoes in Brazil (Colmán et al 2018) (Table 6.2).…”

Major Plant Diseases Caused by Phoma sensu lato Species and Their Integrated Management Strategies

“…Due to the wide host range of the pathogen, the disease is known by different names, such as ray blight, stem blight, tomato rot, and gummy stem blight. Stem blight causes a huge loss universally, especially in Australia, Brazil, India, South Africa, South Korea, Tasmania, the USA, and Turkey (Aveskamp et al 2008;Pethybridge et al 2011;Basım et al 2016;Colmán et al 2018;Deb et al 2020).…”

“…The appearance of a shepherd's crook symptoms on the infected buds and flowers has also been reported several times (Pethybridge et al 2011;Deb et al 2020). On tomato, blight symptoms would be noticeable after 5 days on leaves, flowers, and stems which is also known as tomato rot (Colmán et al 2018). On cucurbits, the disease is known as gummy stem blight.…”

“…Circular beige-colored leaf spots with yellow borders could be present on leaves; the spots can eventually merge causing leaf blight (Basım et al 2016;Deb et al 2020). (Pethybridge et al 2011;Basım et al 2016;Colmán et al 2018;Deb et al 2020). Ascospores are considered as primary inoculum spreading by wind and rain.…”