Abstract
The rapid expansion of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cultivation in central and southern Italy has revealed emerging phytosanitary challenges, including “pomegranate wood decay syndrome”, characterised by cortical cankers, wood browning, and progressive plant decline. This study investigates the fungal microbiota associated with symptomatic pomegranate wood using a combined approach of traditional fungal isolation and ITS2 metabarcoding analysis. Samples from two orchards in Lazio were examined, revealing a complex fungal community with a high prevalence of Neofusicoccum parvum (putative) and species belonging to the genus Diaporthe. Pathogenicity tests confirmed the role of N. parvum in causing significant wood browning, while other isolates showed variable virulence. Statistical analyses validated the pathogenicity of select isolates, with the putative Diaporthe eres (Nitschke) consistently demonstrating potential pathogenic activity across all trials. Metabarcoding identified 289 taxa, highlighting a richer fungal diversity in the symptomatic wood compared to the asymptomatic sections. Notably, Coniella granati, previously implicated in pomegranate decline, was absent in the studied orchards. The findings reveal that pomegranate wood decay is a complex syndrome driven by fungal pathogens and environmental stressors, such as low temperatures. This study highlights the value of integrative approaches for understanding and managing fungal-associated wood diseases in pomegranate orchards.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Symptomatic pomegranate wood had high prevalence of Neofusicoccum parvum.
- Taxon
- pomegranate
Punica granatumt0 - Interactor
- Neofusicoccum parvumNeofusicoccum parvume0pathogen
- Outcome
- high prevalence of Neofusicoccum parvume0
- Setting
- Lazioe1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“revealing a complex fungal community with a high prevalence of Neofusicoccum parvum (putative) and species belonging to the genus Diaporthe.”
t0“Pomegranate Woody Mycobiota Associated with Wood Decay”
e1“Samples from two orchards in Lazio were examined”
Claim · model-written summary
Symptomatic pomegranate wood had high prevalence of Diaporthe species.
- Taxon
- pomegranatePunica granatumt0
- Outcome
- species belonging to the genus Diaporthee0
DiaportheOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“revealing a complex fungal community with a high prevalence of Neofusicoccum parvum (putative) and species belonging to the genus Diaporthe.”
t0“Pomegranate Woody Mycobiota Associated with Wood Decay”
Claim · model-written summary
Pathogenicity tests showed N. parvum caused significant wood browning.
- Taxon
- pomegranatePunica granatumt0
- Treatment
- N. parvume0
- Interactor
- N. parvumNeofusicoccum parvume0pathogen
- Outcome
- wood browninge0
- Direction
- causinge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Pathogenicity tests confirmed the role of N. parvum in causing significant wood browning”
t0“Pomegranate Woody Mycobiota Associated with Wood Decay”
Claim · model-written summary
Other isolates showed variable virulence on pomegranate.
- Taxon
- pomegranatePunica granatumt0
- Outcome
- variable virulencee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“while other isolates showed variable virulence.”
t0“Pomegranate Woody Mycobiota Associated with Wood Decay”
Claim · model-written summary
Putative Diaporthe eres showed potential pathogenic activity across all trials.
- Taxon
- pomegranatePunica granatumt0
- Interactor
- Diaporthe eres
Diaporthe erese0pathogen - Outcome
- potential pathogenic activitye0
- Qualifier
- across all trialse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the putative Diaporthe eres (Nitschke) consistently demonstrating potential pathogenic activity across all trials.”
t0“Pomegranate Woody Mycobiota Associated with Wood Decay”
Claim · model-written summary
Metabarcoding identified 289 fungal taxa in pomegranate wood.
- Taxon
- pomegranatePunica granatumt0
- Outcome
- taxae0
- Value
- 289e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Metabarcoding identified 289 taxa”
t0“Pomegranate Woody Mycobiota Associated with Wood Decay”
Claim · model-written summary
Symptomatic pomegranate wood had richer fungal diversity than asymptomatic sections.
- Taxon
- pomegranatePunica granatumt0
- Outcome
- fungal diversitye0
- Direction
- richere0
- Comparator
- asymptomatic sectionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a richer fungal diversity in the symptomatic wood compared to the asymptomatic sections.”
t0“Pomegranate Woody Mycobiota Associated with Wood Decay”
Claim · model-written summary
Coniella granati was absent from the studied pomegranate orchards.
- Taxon
- pomegranatePunica granatumt0
- Interactor
- Coniella granatiConiella granatie0pathogen
- Outcome
- absent in the studied orchardse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Coniella granati, previously implicated in pomegranate decline, was absent in the studied orchards.”
t0“Pomegranate Woody Mycobiota Associated with Wood Decay”