Detection of Monilinia spp. by a multiplex real-time PCR assay and first report of Monilinia fructicola in South Tyrol (northern Italy)

Abstract

AbstractBrown rot decay of stone and pome fruit caused by Monilinia spp. is an economically important disease. The main pathogens in Italy are the indigenous species Monilinia laxa and M. fructigena, and the invasive species M. fructicola. The presence of M. fructicola in Italy was reported for the first time in 2008 in Cuneo, Piedmont. Further records showed that M. fructicola spread and established rapidly in other regions of Italy. In South Tyrol, Europe's largest contiguous apple-growing area, the cultivation of stone fruit is an increasingly important agricultural branch for small-holder farmers of the mountainous areas. Up to now, it was unknown if M. fructicola is present and how M. laxa and M. fructigena are distributed. Therefore, plant protection strategies were applied without knowledge of the species present in the orchards. To detect the three Monilinia spp. on stone fruit trees and to determine their distribution, samples of fruit mummies were taken from scattered stone fruit trees and from sweet cherry orchards. A multiplex real-time PCR was applied to detect Monilinia spp. in the fruit mummies. The results showed the presence of M. fructicola for the first time in South Tyrol on three locations and that M. laxa was the predominant species, followed by M. fructigena.