<i>Colletotrichum</i> Species Associated with Anthracnose in <i>Salix babylonica</i> in China

oleh: Mengyu Zhang, Dewei Li, Yuanzhi Si, Yue Ju, Lihua Zhu

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2023-04-01

Deskripsi

<i>Salix babylonica</i> L. is a popular ornamental tree species in China and widely cultivated in Asia, Europe, and North America. Anthracnose in <i>S. babylonica</i> poses a serious threat to its growth and reduces its medicinal properties. In 2021, a total of 55 <i>Colletotrichum</i> isolates were isolated from symptomatic leaves in three provinces in China. Phylogenetic analyses using six loci (ITS, <i>ACT</i>, <i>CHS-1</i>, <i>TUB2</i>, <i>CAL</i>, and <i>GAPDH</i>) and a morphological characterization of the 55 isolates showed that they belonged to four species of <i>Colletotrichum</i>, including <i>C. aenigma</i>, <i>C. fructicola</i>, <i>C. gloeosporioides</i> s.s., and <i>C. siamense</i>. Among them, <i>C. siamense</i> was the dominant species, and <i>C. gloeosporioides</i> s.s. was occasionally discovered from the host tissues. Pathogenicity tests revealed that all the isolates of the aforementioned species were pathogenic to the host, and there were significant differences in pathogenicity or virulence among these isolates. The information on the diversity of <i>Colletotrichum</i> spp. that causes <i>S. babylonica</i> anthracnose in China is new.