Ceratocystis fimbriata - Actinidia spp. Pathosystem

Ceratocystis wilt, caused by Ceratocystis fimbriata, was first reported in 2010 causing disease in kiwifruit vines, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (Sonego et al. 2010). The disease symptoms include wilt, dark-brown lesions in the xylem, reduced fruit size and eventual death of infected vines (Piveta et al. 2016, Ferreira et al. 2017). Currently, Ceratocystis wilt occurs in the main kiwifruit producing areas in Brazil where it severely limits the expansion of kiwifruit cultivation (Piveta et al. 2016, Ferreira et al. 2017). Additionally, the disease is a threat to the world’s largest kiwifruit-producing countries, such as China, Italy, Iran, Greece, Chile and New Zealand, where the disease has not been reported yet on kiwifruit.

References

Ferreira MA, Harrington TC, Piveta G, Alfenas AC (2017) Genetic variability suggests that three populations of Ceratocystis fimbriata are responsible for the Ceratocystis wilt epidemic on kiwifruit in Brazil. Trop Plant Pathol 42:86–95

Piveta G, Ferreira MA, Muniz M, Valdetaro D, Valdebenito-Sanhueza R, Harrington T et al (2016) Ceratocystis fimbriata on kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) in Brazil. New Zeal J Crop Hortic Sci 44:13–24

Sonego OR, Ferreira MA, Sanhueza RM, Gava R, Garrido LR, Alfenas AC (2010) Primeiro relato da murcha-de-ceratocystis em kiwifruit. Trop Plant Pathol 35:S233