Unusual Stylar-End Breakdown and Sour Rot on Key Lime (<i>Citrus aurantiifolia</i>) in Pre-Harvest Condition in Italy
2021
Giorgio Gusella | Alberto Fiorenza | Dalia Aiello | Giancarlo Polizzi
Key lime (<i>Citrus aurantiifolia</i>) is an emerging crop in Italy, especially in the Southern regions, where the environmental conditions are suitable for its cultivation. A field survey in Sicily in a commercial orchard of Key lime revealed the widespread presence of water-soaked spots and sunken/dry lesions at the stylar-end, mainly in pre-harvest condition. Water-soaked spots were attributed to <i>Geotrichum citri-aurantii</i>, an agent of sour rot on <i>Citrus</i> spp., whereas the sunken/dry lesion was attributed to the physiological disorder known as stylar-end breakdown. Sour rot and stylar-end breakdown are usually considered post-harvest diseases and rarely found in the field on fruit still attached to the tree. Although <i>Geotrichum citri-aurantii</i> is not responsible for the stylar-end breakdown, its association with this alteration reveals the importance of the environmental conditions and the agronomic practices in diseases/disorders development. In addition, to our knowledge, this is the first report of <i>Geotrichum citri-aurantii</i> on Key lime in Europe.
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