Pomegranate Dieback in Italy: New Insights into the Etiology of the Disease.

ABSTRACT: Pomegranate dieback is a disease whose etiology remains only partially understood. In this study, surveys were carried out in orchards located in the Apulia, Basilicata, and Veneto regions from 2016 to 2020 with the objective to identify pathogens involved in pomegranate dieback. Six fungal species were isolated from symptomatic trees and identified through morphological and molecular analyses. In addition to the known pomegranate pathogens Neofusicoccum parvum, Diaporthe eres and D. foeniculina, new fungal species, including Neopestalotiopsis rosae, Sporothrix stenoceras, and one belonging to the Xenoacremonium genus, were identified. This study represents the first report of their association with pomegranate plants exhibiting dieback symptoms. W

SUBMITTER: Tundo S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12942393 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature