Wilt and die‐back of Eucalyptus spp. caused by Erwinia psidii in Brazil

A new disease of unknown bacterial aetiology has been observed in eucalyptus stands since 2009. It is characterized by die‐back, wilting and lesions on the branches, petiole and midrib in association with macroscopic and microscopic bacterial ooze. To date, this disease has been observed in stands o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Forest pathology = Journal de pathologie forestière = Zeitschrift für Forstpathologie 2014-08, Vol.44 (4), p.255-265
Main Authors: Arriel, D. A. A, Fonseca, N. R, Guimarães, L. M. S, Hermenegildo, P. S, Mafia, R. G, Borges Júnior, N, Souza, H. P, Alfenas, A. C, Kim, M.‐S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
branches
economics
Erwinia
Erwinia psidii
essential genes
etiology
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus saligna
hybrids
pathogenicity
petioles
phylogeny
plantations
ribosomal DNA
seedlings
wilting
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Summary:A new disease of unknown bacterial aetiology has been observed in eucalyptus stands since 2009. It is characterized by die‐back, wilting and lesions on the branches, petiole and midrib in association with macroscopic and microscopic bacterial ooze. To date, this disease has been observed in stands of clonal Eucalyptus saligna, E. grandis and E. urophylla x E. grandis hybrids and in E. dunnii seedling plantations in the states of São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul and Mato Grosso do Sul. Considering the economic importance of eucalyptus plantations and the potential losses caused by this disease, this study aimed to identify and characterize the causal agent. Thirty‐four strains were obtained from infected plants, which were collected in the field from four locations. The inoculation of detached leaves and intact rooted cuttings supported pathogenicity in eucalyptus. The phylogenetic analysis of four housekeeping genes (16S rDNA, gapA, recA and rpoB) as well as biochemical tests confirmed the identity of strains belonging to the species Erwinia psidii. This is the first report of E. psidii as the cause of wilt and die‐back in Eucalyptus spp. in Brazil.
ISSN:1437-4781
1439-0329
DOI:10.1111/efp.12087