ISHS Acta Horticulturae 545: V International Protea Research Symposium
FUNGAL DISEASES ON PROTEAS IDENTIFIED IN MADEIRA ISLAND |
| Authors: | M.F. Moura, P.F. Rodrigues |
| Keywords: | protea diseases, protea pathogens, Proteaceae, Leucadendron, Protea, Leucospermum |
| Abstract:
Protea cultivation began in Madeira in the seventies. Although it has become a very profitable agricultural crop, several problems have increased with the demand for high quality products and high productivity varieties and cultivars. Amongst those problems, diseases caused by fungi have become relevant in protea orchard management. Fungal diseases that occur in the aerial parts are mainly caused by fungi like Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Botrytis cinerea, Batcheloromyces proteae, Leptosphaeria protearum, Dreschlera dematioidea, Alternaria alternata, Stemphylium botryosum, Phoma glomerata, Pestalotia guepini, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Coleroa senniana, Glomerella cingulata, and Pleospora herbarum or belonging to the genera Phoma sp., Phomopsis sp., Botryodiplodia sp. and Botryosphaeria sp. The major fungal diseases in protea cultivation in Madeira Island are soil-borne diseases. Several fungi have been identified that kill proteas, attacking the roots and crown, producing root rot: Rosellinea necatrix, Armillaria ssp., Pythium sp., Phytophthora sp.Cylindrocarpon destructans, Verticillium dahliae, Fusarium sp. Fusarium solani, Fusarium equiseti, Rhizoctonia solani. Rosellinea necatrix has shown a very destructive potential on proteas, mainly in the Leucadendron genus. In the genera Protea and Leucospermum several of these fungi has been identified but their importance is much less than on Leucadendron. Rosellinea necatrix causes death in Leucadendron plants, but until now we have only been able to control its spread by trenching the infected plants, pulling them out with the maximum root material (if possible with the soil attached) and burning them. No chemical approach has been tried according to literature available for this disease. Several cultivars have been identified as very susceptible, including Leucadendron `Safari Sunset´, Leucadendron `Long Tom´, Leucadendron `Inca Gold´, Leucadendron `Wilson's Wonder´ and Leucadendron `Pisa´. Leucadendron `Silvan Red´ and Leucadendron `Rising Sun´ seem more tolerant. | |
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