New report of <i>Penicillium implicatum</i> causing a postharvest rot of pomegranate fruit in Pakistan.

Khokhar, Ibatsam; Bajwa, Rukhsana; Nasim, Ghazala

In this study Penicillium implicatum was found to be the cause of postharvest rot of stored pomegranate ( Punica granatum L.) fruit. Rot symptom was observed on pomegranate fruit as small, sunken, circular to oval, dark brown necrotic spots. Infected fruit tissues were cultured on malt extract agar (MEA), Czapek (Cz), Czapek yeast Agar (CYA) and G25N media at 25 °C. This fungal species was primarily characterized by its relatively slow growth on MEA, Cz, CYA and G25N, blue-grey sporulation, forming crusts, production of a soluble yellow pigment on the media and inability to grow at 5 and 37 °C on both Cz and MEA. Microscopically, it was characterized by its long, smooth-walled and vesiculate conidiophores and smooth ellipsoidal to ovoid, up to 3.5 μm long, conidia. The fungus was identified as P. implicatum on the basis of morphological and cultural characteristics. Pathogenicity tests conducted on healthy fruits under laboratory conditions showed typical rot symptoms after 7 to 14 days. This is the first report of postharvest rot of pomegranate caused by P. implicatum in Pakistan.

Australasian Plant Disease Notes, 2013, Vol 8, Issue 1, p39

1833-928X

Academic Journal

10.1007/s13314-013-0091-0