2026/07/27 by Giorgio GUSELLA, Giorgio Gusella, C. Catalano +13
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Cocoa and Sweet Potato Agronomy #Phytoplasmas and Hemiptera pathogens #Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
paper · pdf · doi:10.36253/phyto-17230
crossref issued 2026/07/27 · crossref published 2026/07/27 · crossref published-online 2026/07/27 · openalex publication_date 2026/07/27 · crossref created 2026/07/27 · crossref deposited 2026/07/27 · crossref indexed 2026/07/27 · openalex created_date 2026/07/28 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
Citrus trees are important for fruit production, and canker pathogens can be constraints to tree productivity. In Italy, field surveys showed presence of different pathogens causing trunk and branch cankers, gummoses and shoot blight. Among these pathogens, Neofusicoccum parvum is aggressive and widely distributed. Susceptibility of 47 Citrus genotypes was assessed using detached twig assays and an in planta assessment. The detached twig assay identified mandarin as the most susceptible variety (mean lesion length = 3.80 cm), followed by citrumelo ‘Swingle’ (2.83 cm), and lemons (2.47 cm), whereas grapefruits (1.34 cm) and citrons (1.76 cm) had greatest levels of tolerance. These results were consistent with those obtained in the in planta assay, in which grapefruits showed greatest tolerance (mean lesion length = 1.24 cm), while the lemon cultivars ‘Monachello’ (7.32 cm) and ‘Femminello Siracusano 2Kr’ (6.48 cm) were confirmed as the most susceptible genotypes. This study provides the first overview assessment of susceptibility of different Citrus species to infection by N. parvum.