Lasiodiplodia iraniensis associated with Bahia bark scaling in grapefruit plants

ABSTRACT: Bahia Bark Scaling (BBS) is a disease that affects citrus and its etiology remains unknown. This study investigated the association of a fungal agent with BBS symptoms in grapefruit plants. Eight fungal isolates were recovered from the field and identified at the genus level by morphological methods, of which two were used in inoculations on healthy plants to fulfill Koch’s postulate. The Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region was used in phylogenetic analyses for species identification. The inoculated plants showed typical symptoms of BBS. Lasiodiplodia iraniensis was the species associated with symptomatic grapefruit trees in the field, as well as the species recovered from plants that developed symptoms in the pathogenicity tests.