H. S. S. Duartea, P. G. C. Cabrala, O. L. Pereiraa, L. Zambolima, E. D. Gonc¸alvesb, J. Vieira Netob, E. M. Zambolima and V. Sergeeva | View Article
The olive tree is an arboreal species belonging to the family Oleaceae with recognized importance in the production of olive oils and olives. In December 2008, typical lesions of anthracnose, with mature fruit mummification were observed in olive tree fields in Maria da Fe´ , in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A fungus was isolated directly on potato dextrose agar (PDA) from conidia collected from pink to orange masses on infected fruit. A typical fruit sample was deposited in the local herbarium (VIC 31209). The isolate showed a pink colony on PDA, producing sporodochia with a mass of hyaline amerospores with pointed ends. Based on these morphological characteristics the fungus was identified as Colletotrichum acutatum, which has been reported to cause anthracnose on olives trees in other countries and most recently in Australia (Sergeeva et al., 2008). In Brazil, C. acutatum is reported to cause disease on fruit of apple, citrus, strawberry, peach, plum, nectarine, medlar, and on yerba-mate (Kimati et al., 2005).
First report of anthracnose and fruit mummification of olive fruit
