Browsing by Author "Briceno, Erika X."

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    Canker and twig dieback of blueberry caused by Pestalotiopsis spp. and a Truncatella sp in Chile
    (AMER PHYTOPATHOLOGICAL SOC, 2008) Espinoza, Jose G.; Briceno, Erika X.; Keith, Lisa M.; Latorre, Bernardo A.
    Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) has great economic importance in Chile, which currently has about 8,500 ha being cultivated. Recently, the presence of canker and dieback symptoms has been observed along the productive blueberry zone of Chile. Species of Pestalotiopsis and Truncatella were consistently isolated from diseased samples in 22 different locations. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify and characterize the species of Pestalotiopsis and Truncatella associated with canker and twig dieback symptoms on blueberry. Forty-nine isolates were ob- tained on acidified potato dextrose agar in 2006 and 2007. These isolates were identified as Pestalotiopsis clavispora, P neglecta, and Truncatella (=Pestalotia) angustata on the basis of colony characteristics and conidial morphology. This identification was verified by internal transcribed spacer analysis of DNA. Isolates of P. clavispora, P. neglecta, and T angustata were pathogenic on apple, kiwifruit, and blueberry fruit. Similarly, isolates of P. clavispora were pathogenic on detached blueberry twigs of cv. O'Neal. Additionally, three selected isolates of P. clavispora induced light-brown canker lesions, surrounded by a reddish halo, and shoot dieback after twig inoculations on 2-year-old twigs of blueberry cvs. O'Neal, Bluecrop, Brightwell, Brigitta, Duke, Elliot, and Misty. Among blueberry cultivars, Brightwell and O'Neal were the most susceptible and Bluecrop and Misty the least susceptible, while Elliot, Brigitta, and Duke were moderately susceptible to P. clavispora. These pathogens were isolated consistently from inoculated plants, confirming Koch's postulates. P. clavispora was highly sensitive to fludioxonil and pyraclostrobin with a median effective concentration of 0.06 to 0.08 and 0.04 to 0.8 mu g/ml, respectively. Therefore, the results of this study indicate that P. clavispora, P. neglecta, and T angustata are primary pathogens that can cause canker lesions and dieback symptoms on blue- berry not previously described in Chile. However, these results do not exclude that other species of these genera or other plant-pathogenic fungi (e.g., Botryosphaeria, Pestalotia, and Phomopsis spp.) may eventually be involved in this syndrome of blueberry.
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    Characterization of Cladosporium Rot in Grapevines, a Problem of Growing Importance in Chile
    (AMER PHYTOPATHOLOGICAL SOC, 2008) Briceno, Erika X.; Latorre, Bernardo A.
    Cladosporium rot (Cladosporium spp.) of grapevine (Vitis vinifera) is a common disease in Chile, particularly in Cabernet Sauvignon and other red wine grape cultivars. It is favored by delayed harvest to obtain the phenolic maturity necessary for high-quality red wine. This study expands oil previous investigations of the specific causal agents, the histopathological host:pathogen relationship, and the population dynamics of Cladosporium spp. during the seasonal development of grape clusters. Over 100 isolates were obtained and identified as C cladosporioides and C herbarum, confirming previous results. The identity of a subset of isolates was confirmed by molecular analysis. Isolates of both C cladosporioides and C herbarum from grapevines were pathogenic on inoculated table grapes and wine grapes. These pathogens were reisolated, fulfilling Koch's Postulates. Berry injuries and total soluble solids content above 15% were necessary for Cladosporium spp. to infect wine grapes. The mycelia of C cladosporioides and C. herbarum grew between 0 and 30 degrees C, but no growth was obtained at 35 degrees C in vitro. The histological studies showed that Cladosporium spp. superficially colonize mature V. vinifera berries, invading the epidermis but scarcely penetrating the hypodermis. The Cladosporium populations obtained on apparently healthy berries of V. vinifera cvs. Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay were significantly larger (P = 0.05) than the populations obtained under similar conditions on berries of V. champini cv. Ramsey and hybrids Kober 5BB and Couderc 1613. Considering the importance of Cladosporium rot in Chile compared with other grape production areas, the development of control strategies is needed to prevent high disease severity, which affects both yield and wine quality.