Characterization and pathogenicity of fungal trunk pathogens associated with declining of neem ( Azadirachta indica A. J
- PDF / 1,501,223 Bytes
- 13 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 5 Downloads / 197 Views
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Characterization and pathogenicity of fungal trunk pathogens associated with declining of neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) trees in Iran Rahil Ghasemi-Sardareh 1 & Hamid Mohammadi 1 Received: 31 March 2020 / Accepted: 23 June 2020 # Società Italiana di Patologia Vegetale (S.I.Pa.V.) 2020
Abstract Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) tree is an important and valuable forestry species and is also ideal for reforesting programs in some countries. Several field surveys were conducted on neem trees in different landscapes in Bandar Abbas (Hormozgan province, southern coast of Iran) to determine fungal species associated with trunk diseases. Wood samples were collected from branches of trees planted in boulevards, public parks, local streets, sidewalks and roadsides with yellowing, defoliation, dieback, canker, gummosis and internal wood discoloration. Fungal isolations were made from discolored wood tissues on potatodextrose agar supplemented with 0.5 g/L of streptomycin sulphate. Fungal isolates obtained from neem trees, were identified based on morphological characteristics and DNA sequence comparisons. Curvularia hawaiiensis, Neoscytalidium hyalinum, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Paecilomyces formosus, Paecilomyces dactylethromorphus, Phaeoacremonium venezuelense, P. angustius, P. minimum, P. rubrigenum, P. parasiticum and Pleurostoma richardsiae were the main fungal species recovered from neem trees showing disease symptoms. Pathogenicity of selected species was verified by inoculation of shoots of neem trees under controlled conditions. Neoscytalidium hyalinum was the most aggressive species based on the length of vascular necrosis in the wood. All fungal species, with exception of L. theobromae, are reported here for the first time on neem trees. Keywords B-tubulin gene . Botryosphaeriaceae . Phaeoacremonium spp. . Tef-1α . Trunk diseases
Introduction Neem tree (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.; family Meliaceae) is a fast-growing evergreen tree native to Indian sub-continent and significantly contributes to the forest cover of the northern areas (Roxburgh 1874). Neem as a multi-purpose plant species has great potential in the various fields of medicine, management of pests, environment protection, reforestation programs and urban green landscapes. Presently neem tree has been found in many countries in Asia, including India, Thailand, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Iran. Neem abundantly grows in southern coast of Iran which locally known as “Cherish”. Although this tree is important in * Hamid Mohammadi [email protected] Rahil Ghasemi-Sardareh [email protected] 1
Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman 7616914111, Iran
terms of medicine, it is also used as an important ornamental tree in boulevards, public parks, along local streets, sidewalks and next to roads in urban environments in southern provinces of this country. Preliminary studies on leaves, roots, fruits, stems and bark of neem trees indicated that these parts
Data Loading...
