First report of Lasiodiplodia theobromae causing inflorescence blight of mango.
Serrato-Diaz L. M., Perez-Cuevas M., Rivera-Vargas L. I., French-Monar R. D.
Author Affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Amarillo, Texas, USA.
Plant Disease 97 :1380
Abstract : Mango is an important tropical fruit crop in Puerto Rico. During a disease survey from 2008 to 2010, inflorescence blight was observed at the Mango Germplasm Collection of the University of Puerto Rico's Experiment Station in Juana Diaz as a rotting of the rachis (main axis of the inflorescence), rachilla (lateral axis) and flowers. Based on morphological observations, molecular investigations (sequence analysis of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region, and fragments of both ?-tubulin and elongation factor 1 alpha genes) and pathogenicity tests, the causal agent was identified as L. theobromae. Worldwide, L. theobromae has only been reported causing dieback, stem end rot and fruit rot in mango. This is thought to be the first report of L. theobromae causing inflorescence blight in mango.