First report of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides on strawberry in Northwestern Argentina.

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides was isolated from symptomatic strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch. ‘Chandler’) growing in Lules (Tucuman, Argentina). Isolates were characterized based on several criteria. Potato dextrose agar (PDA) was used to evaluate cultural and morphological characteristics of the isolates. After 10 days on PDA at 28°C under continuous white light, colonies showed abundant aerial, cottony white to pale beige growth, with orange asexual fruiting bodies in older colonies. Isolates displayed cylindrical conidia, rounded at both ends, averaging 10.4 × 3.9 µm (length by width). A sexual phase (perithecia) was observed in all isolates in 2-month-old cultures on PDA at 28°C under continuous white light. Pathogenicity tests were conducted with healthy plants of cvs. Pajaro and Chandler. Spray inoculation with conidial suspensions (106 conidia per ml) resulted in disease symptoms (petiole and crown lesions with wilting of crown-infected plants) 7 days after inoculation. Infection progressed at...