Frequent Association of Colletotrichum Species with Citrus Fruit and Leaf Spot Disease Symptoms and their Genetic Diversity in Ethiopia

Citrus leaf and fruit spot is one of the most important biotic constraints of citrus production in Ethiopia. The symptomatic leaf and fruit samples were collected from 29 orchards of 15 major citrus growing districts of Ethiopia. One hundred sixty-seven fungal isolates were recovered and identified to species level through DNA barcoding; and their relationships were established using multigene phylogeny. The internal transcribed spacers, long subunit and actin gene sequences revealed that those 167 isolates belonged to either Collectotrichum gloeosporioides or Collectotrichum boninense species complexes (sensu lato), but no recovery of Pseudocercospora angolensis, the primary causal agent of the citrus leaf and fruit spot disease. Detached leaf assays confirmed pathogenicity of isolates of both C. gloeosporioides and C. boninense species complexes on citrus. They reproduced disease symptoms and the pathogens were re-isolated from symptomatic tissues. This study reports frequent association of C. gloeosporioides and C. boninense species complexes with citrus fruit and leaf spot disease in Ethiopia. This finding suggests the need for in-depth studies to determine the roles of C. gloeosporioides and C. boninense species complexes in citrus fruit and leaf spot disease epidemiology.