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Species in the North American clade (NAC) of the Ceratocystis fimbriata complex are mostly weak pathogens that infect native tree hosts through fresh wounds. Isolations from discolored tissue of wounded Tilia americana (basswood) in Iowa and Nebraska yielded a Ceratocystis species that was similar to but distinct from isolates of C. variospora from other hosts. Sequences of 28S rDNA showed that isolates from basswood did not differ from C. variospora, but there were minor differences in ITS rDNA sequences. The DNA sequences of a portion of the Cerato-platanin gene and TEF1α showed the basswood fungus to be a unique lineage. Cross inoculations in two experiments showed that the basswood isolates and C. variospora isolates from Quercus spp. were most aggressive to their respective hosts. Isolates from basswood grew slower and were less pigmented than C. variospora isolates from Quercus spp. The basswood fungus thus is distinguished from C. variospora based on phylogenetic analyses and phenotype and is herein described as C. tiliae sp. nov.

Ralstonia solanacearum sensu lato causes bacterial wilt in many agronomic crops and tree species economically important worldwide. It is a species complex that has been divided into phylotypes and sequevars, commonly related to geographic distribution. Knowledge of the phylotype composition and genetic variability in populations of this phytopathogenic bacterium is useful for implementing effective control measures. In a survey conducted in 2019, six bacterial strains were obtained from wilted Eucalyptus urophylla trees in plantations located in the municipality of Dom Eliseu, Pará state, Brazil. Multiplex PCR based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) indicated that the bacterial strains belonged to two different species, namely R. pseudosolanacearum (phylotype I) and R. solanacearum (phylotype II). In a phylogenetic analysis, the nucleotide sequence of the endoglucanase (egl) gene from eucalypt strains of phylotype I clustered together with sequevar 18 sequences from GenBank. Separation of the strains into two different species was confirmed by repetitive element palindromic PCR (rep‐PCR). Pathogenicity tests demonstrated that the R. solanacearum and R. pseudosolanacearum strains recovered from E. urophylla cause disease in both tomato and eucalypt plants. Until now, only R. solanacearum (Phylotype II) has been reported causing wilt symptoms on Eucalyptus spp. in Brazil. Therefore, the presence of R. pseudosolanacearum and a need for better understanding of its genetic and aggressiveness variability as well as possible differences between the two species should be considered in breeding programmes aimed at the deployment of host resistance.

Calonectria leaf blight, caused by Calonectria pteridis, is currently one of the main foliar diseases in eucalypt plantations in Brazil. In warm and high rainfall regions, the disease can be a limiting factor for eucalypt production when planting susceptible genotypes. The most effective method for controlling this disease in the field is the use of resistant genotypes, which requires knowledge of the genetic variability and aggressiveness of the pathogen population for effective deployment of plant resistance. This work evaluated the genetic diversity and aggressiveness of C. pteridis populations obtained from infected eucalypt plants in Monte Dourado (Pará state) and Imperatriz (Maranhão state), Brazil. To study the genetic diversity, 16 ISSR primers were tested, five of which amplified polymorphic, reproducible and informative bands. Thirty‐one closely related genotypes were identified from 84 isolates studied, indicating that the population has a low genetic diversity. The aggressiveness of seven isolates, selected according to geographic origin and their clustering in the ISSR‐based dendogram, was determined by inoculation of a hybrid Eucalyptus grandis × E. urophylla clone under controlled conditions. Disease severity was assessed by both measuring the percentage of plant defoliation and assigning a score according to a diagrammatic scale of symptoms. A high correlation between the two evaluation methods was observed, which revealed significant differences in aggressiveness among the isolates. The diagrammatic scale is recommended for disease evaluation because results are obtained much faster, before the occurrence of severe defoliation. No correlation between clustering in the ISSR‐based phylogenetic analysis and aggressiveness was observed.

Ceratocystis fimbriata is native to Brazil, where it is able to cause serious diseases on numerous hosts, especially on non-native plants. Because C. fimbriata is soilborne and not wind dispersed, highly differentiated populations are found in different regions of Brazil. The present study compared populations of C. fimbriata on taro, mango, eucalyptus and kiwifruit from the coastal Mata Atlântica region with native populations of the fungus from the Cerrado-transition region in Brazil by using 14 SSR markers and DNA sequences of ITS and mating type genes. Microsatellite and phylogenetic analyses were performed to test the hypothesis that populations on different hosts from the Mata Atlântica region are related to each other and are native to the region. The ITS sequences varied greatly among the taro isolates, with six sequences identified, from which two had not been previously reported. For mating type genes, four sequences were identified among the isolates on taro, mango, eucalyptus and kiwifruit. Phylogenetic analyses showed that Mata Atlântica populations formed a monophyletic group distinct from Cerrado-transition region populations, although earlier studies had shown that isolates from the two regions are interfertile and are considered as a single biological species. Microsatellite analysis revealed low gene diversity for each of the three Mata Atlântica populations on taro, mango and kiwifruit, suggesting that these populations had gone through genetic bottlenecks, probably by dispersal of select genotypes in vegetative propagation material. Also, microsatellite markers showed that two microsatellite genotypes from taro are widely spread in Brazil, probably by infected corms.

Summary Calonectria leaf blight (CLB), caused by Calonectria pteridis, is a major foliar disease of eucalypt plantations in warm and high rainfall regions in Brazil. The use of resistant genotypes is the best method for disease control in the field, so identification of sources of resistance is strategic for the long‐term genetic breeding programmes of eucalypt. In this study, resistance of 13 species of Eucalyptus and 3 species of Corymbia to CLB was evaluated by spray inoculation of a spore suspension (1 × 104 conidia ml−1) of the pathogen, under controlled conditions. Eucalyptus brassiana, E. saligna, E. scias and E. agglomerata were the most resistant, while E. robusta, E. urophylla, E. camaldulensis, E. longirostrata and C. toreliana were moderately resistant and E. cloeziana, E. pellita, E. tereticornis, E. pilularis, C. maculata, E. grandis, E. dunnii and C. citriodora were the most susceptible. The broad inter and intraspecific variability of the species tested demonstrates the potential for introgression of resistance genes into valuable genotypes as a strategy for the breeding programmes and commercial plantation of eucalypt.

Interest in rational use and reuse of water has increased in recent years, especially in forest nurseries. However, before water can be reused in nurseries, it must be properly treated to eradicate plant pathogens to reduce risks of pathogen dispersal and losses to disease. In the present study, the efficacy of irrigation water treatment by ultrafiltration and conventional physical-chemical treatment was studied to eliminate Botrytis cinerea, Cylindrocladium candelabrum, Ralstonia solanacearum, and Xanthomonas axonopodis, the pathogens most commonly found in Brazilian forest nurseries. Ultrafiltration eradicated over 99% of R. solanacearum, X. axonopodis, and B. cinerea and 100% of C. candelabrum. The few remaining cells or conidia of R. solanacearum and B. cinerea did not induce disease in irrigated rooted cuttings. Flocculation and fast sand filtration used in physical-chemical treatment completely eliminated C. candelabrum but the other pathogens were only removed after chlorination of the filtered water. Both forms of treatment are viable, practical, and safe methods for plant pathogen removal from irrigation water.