Study evaluates anthracnose fungus in olive tree in Brazil

The olive tree is one of the most important woody crops in the world, its cultivated area occupying more than 11 million hectares (FAO, 2019). Due to its economic, social and cultural importance, the study of pathogens that affect the tree and its fruits is essential to find control methods that prevent damage. Among the foliar diseases that affect the olive tree, anthracnose is considered one of the most important. The disease, popularly known as canker, is caused by fungal species of the Colletotrichum genus, and causes great losses in fruit yield and oil quality during epidemic years. Thus, a team from the María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence - Department of Agronomy, University of Córdoba (DAUCO) carried out an international study to specifically characterize a collection of 185 Colletotrichum isolates (samples extracted from olive trees with symptoms of anthracnose and containing the organism pure) from various enclaves around the world. Previously, only two complex species of ...