| Abstract: | Mexico is the main producer, consumer and exporter
of avocado in the world, being Michoacan the main producer state
contributing more than 80% of the national production. There
are phytopathogens that decimate the production causing the
death of the tree. Root samples were collected in avocado trees
that showed the characteristic symptomatology of the disease
known as avocado sadness, the sampling was carried out in four
of the main avocado producing towns, in the state of Michoacan,
Mexico. The isolation consisted in sowing root tissue in Petri
dishes with V8®-PARPH culture medium, subsequently they were
identified morphologically and for species level it was determined
by molecular biology, with the PCR-ITS technique. Pathogenicity
tests were performed in triplicate with avocado seedlings with more
than six leaves. After 24 hours, the inoculated plants expressed
decay in the apical part, after 120 hours the leaves showed yellowing
and after 15 days there was a generalized wilt on the stem and
leaves, re-isolating the phytopathogen Phytopythium vexans.
This study confirms the first report of the oomycete P. vexans
affecting avocado trees in the most important producing region of
the Mexican Republic. |
