The genus Puccinia represents rust infections, which are responsible for great productivity losses in crops of commercial and ornamental plants worldwide. This work is aimed at determining the occurrence of Puccinia spp. spores in Madeira Island in order to infer the exposure risks from a phytopathological point of view. A phytopathological analysis was performed in 203 local plant samples between January 2003 and December 2012. During the same period the airborne concentrations of rust spores were monitored following well-established guidelines. Aerobiological data was compared with meteorological records. Based on macro and microscopic analyses, five species of rusts were identified: P. horiana, P. buxi, P. porri, P. pelargonii-zonalis, and P. sorghi, and they were found mostly in spring and summer. A total of 20 samples out of 203 analysed plants (9.8%), were infected with Puccinia spores, i.e., P. horiana (5.9%), P. buxi (1.47%), P. porri and P. pelargonii-zonalis (0.98%), and P. sorghi (0.5%). During the studied period Puccinia spores attained an annual average concentration of 126 spores m −3 and most of them were recorded between March and October. Meteorological factors were determinant in fluctuations in spore concentration. Relative humidity was the parameter that favoured the biggest release and dispersal of the rust spores, whereas rainfall revealed a significant negative effect. Rusts do not represent an important plant pathogen in Madeira Island, as shown by the low infection frequencies and levels of airborne spore concentrations.
The present study aimed to analyze the possible routes of Fusarium spp. introduction in Madeira between 1990 and 2018 and to elucidate the factors that favored the introduction and settling of this fungus in the Island. Phytosanitary surveys were carried out in several crops and plants imported to Madeira. The isolates of Fusarium spp. were obtained from underground and aerial organs of the plants and cultured on differential media for species identification. Fungal colony and spore morphology were observed under a microscope and identified based on bibliography and dichotomous keys. The phytosanitary analysis for the incidence of Fusarium spp. in plants or crops indicated an increasing trend in the number of fungi, especially between 1990 and 2001. The greatest fungal contamination occurred in the municipalities located in the southern coast of the Island. Most of the contaminated samples were from Portugal (96.9%), while 0.1% to 1.6% samples derived from foreign countries, especially the Netherlands and France. Of 3,246 samples infected with Fusarium spp., 1,212 were from horticultural (37.3%), ornamental (36.9%), tropical and subtropical (16.9%), and temperate plants (9.9%). Fusarium wilt (Panama Disease) caused by F. oxysporum f. sp. cubense occurred in several products imported to Madeira. Other species like Fusarium oxysporum were also detected in several plants and agricultural products, along with Fusarium sp. and Fusarium equiseti. The geoclimatic conditions of Madeira can be suitable for the development and dispersion of these fungi. The trade of cultivars and plants from Portugal and from foreign countries has been an important route of Fusarium introduction in Madeira.
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