Identification and molecular characterization of Botryosphaeriaceae species pathogens on almond trees in Adana province

In this study, the prevalence of Botryosphaeriaceae species causing wilting on the canopy, branch dryness, gumming on the trunk and braches and dieback of almond trees in Adana province and districts and morphological and molecular characterization of these genus species were investigated. As a result of the surveys conducted in 30 different almond orchards in 7 different counties of Adana province, it was determined that there were two species of Botryosphaeria (Neofusicoccum parvum and Diplodia seriata) and disease prevalence in Adana province was determined as 26.6%. These pathogens have been identified according to microscopic morphological structures of the conidia in anamorphic pycnidium and BLASTn analyses of ITS and β-tubulin gene sequences. A total of 12 isolates of both species were obtained. When the Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic trees were constructed individually and in combination with the sequences of ITS and β-tubulin genes, they formed dendograms as separate groups from each other. A total of 12 and most virulent of 4 fungal isolates from both species were inoculated with cuttings and seedlings for the the pathogencity test and isolates of N. parvum species were found more virulent than the isolates of D. seriata based on the size of necrosis area on the inoculation sites.