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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microbe and Virus Interactions with Plants
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1457315
This article is part of the Research Topic Management of Phytopathogenic Fungal Infection and Related Mycotoxin Contamination in Grains and Fruits View all articles

Identification and Pathogenicity of Alternaria and Fusarium Species associated with Bagged Apple Black Spot Disease in Shaanxi, China

Provisionally accepted
Dandan Ding Dandan Ding 1Yating Shao Yating Shao 1Jirong Zhao Jirong Zhao 1Jinshui Lin Jinshui Lin 1Xiangqian Zhang Xiangqian Zhang 1Wang Xiukang Wang Xiukang 1Xiangming Xu Xiangming Xu 2Chengnan Xu Chengnan Xu 1*
  • 1 Yan'an University, Yan'an, China
  • 2 East Malling Research (EMR), East Malling, United Kingdom

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Apple is an economically important fruit crop in northern Shaanxi Province in China. In recent years, a new type of apple black spot disease, "bagged apple black spot disease", has occurred in the main apple production area of Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province, during the apple ripening season. It seriously affects the appearance quality and commercial value of apples. In this study, 120 isolates recovered from symptomatic apples were identified based on morphological characteristics, pathogenicity, and multilocus sequence analyses of the internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal DNA (rDNA-ITS), translation elongation factor 1-α (EF1-α), RNA polymerase II subunit B (RPB2), endopolygalacturonase (endo-PG), and anonymous region OPA1-3. Alternaria alternata was the most abundant species (64%), followed by Fusarium acuminatum (36%). Pathogenicity assays were conducted by inoculating them individually and together on detached apples (Venus Golden and Fuji varieties). The results showed that the two fungal species could infect apples individually and together. Co-infection enhanced the disease severity. F. acuminatum led to increased severity and speed of disease development compared to A. alternata. This is the first report of Fusarium and Alternaria coinfection causing apple black spot disease worldwide, and the first report of F. acuminatum affecting apples. The optimal growth of A. alternata occurred at 25-30℃ and pH 7; the optimal growth of F. acuminatum occurred at 25℃ and pH 7. The results of this study can provide a theoretical basis for exploring the occurrence and epidemiology of apple black spot disease and strategies for its control.

    Keywords: apple, Black spot disease, Alternaria and Fusarium, Co-infection, pathogenicity

    Received: 30 Jun 2024; Accepted: 02 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Ding, Shao, Zhao, Lin, Zhang, Xiukang, Xu and Xu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Chengnan Xu, Yan'an University, Yan'an, China

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