Liberomyces pistaciae sp. nov., the causal agent of pistachio cankers and decline in Italy
Date
2018
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Pensoft Publishers
Abstract
A new canker and decline disease of pistachio (Pistacia vera) is described from Sicily (Italy). Observations
of the disease and sampling of the causal agent started in spring 2010, in the area where this crop is
typically cultivated, Bronte and Adrano (Catania province) and later extended to the Agrigento and
Caltanissetta provinces. Isolations from the margins of twig, branch and stem cankers of declining plants
resulted in fungal colonies with the same morphology. Pathogenicity tests on 5-year-old potted plants
of Pistacia vera grafted on P. terebinthus reproduced similar symptoms to those observed in nature and
the pathogen was confirmed to be a coloniser of woody plant tissue. Comparison of our isolates with
the type of the apparently similar Asteromella pistaciarum showed that our isolates are morphologically
and ecologically different from A. pistaciarum, the latter being a typical member of Mycosphaerellaceae.
Asteromella pistaciarum is lectotypified, described and illustrated and it is considered to represent a spermatial morph of Septoria pistaciarum. Multi-locus phylogenies based on two (ITS and LSU rDNA)
and three (ITS, rpb2 and tub2) genomic loci revealed isolates of the canker pathogen to represent a new
species of Liberomyces within the Delonicicolaceae (Xylariales), which is here described as Liberomyces
pistaciae sp. nov. (Delonicicolaceae, Xylariales). The presence of this fungus in asymptomatic plants with
apparently healthy woody tissues indicates that it also has a latent growth phase. This study improves
the understanding of pistachio decline, but further studies are needed for planning effective disease
management strategies and ensuring that the pathogen is not introduced into new areas with apparently
healthy, but infected plants.
Description
CITATION: Vitale, S., et al. 2018. Liberomyces pistaciae sp. nov., the causal agent of pistachio cankers and decline in Italy. MycoKeys, 40:29-51, doi:10.3897/mycokeys.40.28636.
The original publication is available at https://mycokeys.pensoft.net/
The original publication is available at https://mycokeys.pensoft.net/
Keywords
Nuts -- Diseases and pests, Nut growers -- Italy, Pistachio -- Diseases and pests -- Italy -- Sicily, Cytospora canker -- Italy, Canker (Plant disease), Fruit -- Losses -- -- Italy -- Sicily, Pistachio -- Effect of climatic changes on
Citation
Vitale, S., et al. 2018. Liberomyces pistaciae sp. nov., the causal agent of pistachio cankers and decline in Italy. MycoKeys, 40:29-51, doi:10.3897/mycokeys.40.28636