First Report of Colletotrichum spp. in fruits of allspice (Pimenta dioica) in Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract

Allspice is being affected by anthracnose, a disease that attacks fruits, causing dark brown-dark spots, until necrosis invades the fruits and causes them to fall. Between 2015 and 2016 in the north of Veracruz, allspice fruits were collected with and without symptoms of anthracnose. Isolates were obtained, for a total of 13 monosporic isolates, which were submitted to morphological, pathogenic and molecular characterization. For the morphological characterization, the isolates were seeded in potato dextrose agar media and described by 11 variables. In the pathogenic characterization, the isolates were inoculated on fruits of three locations, with and without injury prior to inoculation; the controls were inoculated with sterile distilled water. For the molecular characterization, the deoxyribonucleic acid was extracted by the CTAB extraction and purification method. The ITS region was amplified with primers ITS4, ITS5. All isolates were pathogenic in fruits after 11 days of inoculation. Morphological characterization identified two species: C. acutatum and C. gloeosporioides. Molecularly, the results of the morphological identification and of two additional species were confirmed: C. fragariae and C. boninense.