Anthracnose disease of Ficus benjamina caused by Colletotrichum orchidearum in Iran

• Published in: Crop protection 2024-10, Vol.184, p.106787, Article 106787
• Main Authors: Ahmadpour, Abdollah, Ghosta, Youbert, Alavi, Fatemeh, Alavi, Zahra, Poursafar, Alireza
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Leaf blight; Ornamental plants; Pathogenicity; Phylogeny; Species complex
• ISSN: 0261-2194
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cropro.2024.106787

Colletotrichum species cause the anthracnose disease that affects a wide variety of fruit, vegetable, and ornamental hosts. During the summer of 2018–2019, infected leaves of Ficus benjamina var. variegata with typical anthracnose symptoms were collected from several greenhouses in Miyandoab (West Azarbaijan Province) and Maraghe (East Azarbaijan Province) counties, Iran, with an incidence of 10–21%. The fungus was isolated and identified as Colletotrichum orchidearum, based on morphological features and multi-gene sequence analyses (ITS‒rDNA, GAPDH, CHS-1, HIS3, ACT and TUB2 genes). Pathogenicity assays were conducted on two-year-old potted plants with conidial suspensions under greenhouse conditions. Typical anthracnose symptoms including fungal conidiomata were developed on the inoculated leaves, while control plants remained symptomless. Re-isolation and re-identification of the inoculated fungi confirmed Koch’s postulates. This study provides the first evidence of C. orchidearum causing anthracnose disease on Ficus benjamina var. variegata in Iran and the world. •Anthracnose disease was observed on the leaves of weeping fig (Ficus benjamina) in Iran with an incidence of 10–21%.•Fungal isolates were identified as Colletotrichum orchidearum based on morphological characteristics and DNA sequences.•Pathogenicity tests produced typical anthracnose symptoms on leaves, and Koch’s postulates were confirmed.•This is the first report of Ficus benjamina var. variegata anthracnose caused by C. orchidearum in Iran and the world.