First Report of Trametes hirsuta, Causal Agent White Rot in Avocado Trees Grown in the State of Michoacán, México
México is the world's leading producer of avocado, with 2,540,715 tons in the last year. <i>Trametes</i> spp. are macromycete fungi that rot wood. In 2022, in the state of Michoacán, México, sporomas of <i>Trametes</i> sp. were found in the trunks of avocado trees (<i>Persea americana</i> var. Hass) of 10 years old and older. The trees showed disease symptoms including yellowing of leaves, widespread defoliation, and wilting. It was observed that 10% of the infected trees were felled after heavy rains. In the place where the fungus settled, abundant cream-colored and cottony mycelium developed, causing "white rot". The incidence of the disease in the sampled orchards was 60% in the tree population per hectare with 350 trees. The symptomatic trees studied were randomly selected from seven orchards. The collected fungal samples show typical structures corresponding to <i>Trametes</i> sp., including large sporomas, a pileus with a surface of concentric zones of various ocher tones, and a porous hymenium. The samples showed a 99% match with the species <i>Trametes hirsuta</i>. Laboratory bioassays of inoculation in fresh wood segments of avocado formed typical sporomas of the pathogen. Finally, the fungus was recovered and reisolated in vitro in PDA, and its identity was confirmed through the morphological characteristics and molecular tests. To the best of our knowledge, this article reports for the first time that <i>P. americana</i> cv. Hass and Mendez are new hosts for <i>T. hirsuta</i>. Therefore, the environmental and horticultural management conditions that favor the proliferation of <i>T. hirsuta</i> must be investigated.
Authors
- Teresita del Carmen Ávila-Val
- Ma. Blanca Nieves Lara-Chávez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3776-4410)
- César Ramiro Martínez-González (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0256-0840)
- Yurixhi Atenea Raya-Montaño (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3272-4391)
- Rosario Ramírez-Mendoza
- Juan Mendoza-Churape (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0141-2456)
- Hexon Ángel Contreras‐Cornejo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8513-2501)
- Margarita Vargas‐Sandoval (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4835-8779)
Institutions
- Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo (MX)
- Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Madero (MX)
- Tecnológico Nacional de México (MX)
- Colegio de Postgraduados (MX)
- Instituto Tecnológico de Morelia (MX)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Pathogens
- Published
- 2025-05-26
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14060532
- Primary Topic
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México