Pest categorisation of Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae

Abstract

The EFSA Plant Health Panel performed a pest categorisation of Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae, a clearly defined fungus of the family Botryosphaeriaceae, which was first described in 2008 as a cryptic species within the L. theobromae complex. The pathogen affects a wide range of woody perennial crops and ornamental plants causing root rot, damping‐off, leaf spots, twig blight, cankers, stem‐end rot, gummosis, branch dieback and pre‐ and post‐harvest fruit rots. Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae is present in Africa, Asia, North and South America and Oceania and has also been reported from Spain with a restricted distribution. However, there is uncertainty on the status of the pathogen worldwide and in the EU because in the past, when molecular tools (particularly multigene phylogenetic analysis) were not available, the pathogen might have been misidentified as L. theobromae. Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae is not included in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 and there are no interceptions in the EU. Because of the very wide host range of the pathogen, this pest categorisation focused on those hosts for which there is robust evidence that the pathogen was formally identified by a combination of morphology, pathogenicity and multilocus sequence analysis. Plants for planting, including seeds, fresh fruits and bark and wood of host plants as well as soil and other plant‐growing media are the main pathways for the further entry of the pathogen into the EU. Host availability and climate suitability factors occurring in parts of the EU are favourable for the further establishment of the pathogen. In the area of its present distribution, including Spain, the pathogen has a direct impact on cultivated hosts. multilocus measures are available to prevent the further introduction and spread of the pathogen into the EU. Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae satisfies the criteria that are within the remit of EFSA to assess for this species to be regarded as potential Union quarantine pest.

Are rot-causing Botryosphaeriaceae species surviving in healthy Manihot esculenta propagative material in Brazil?

“…In view of this and the identi cation of Lasiodiplodia spp. and N. dimdiatum as endophytes in M. esculenta in the present study and knowing the ability of Botryosphaeriaceae species to behave as latent pathogens in their hosts we proposed a life cycle of L. theobromae, L. euphorbiaceicola and N. dimidiatum in M. esculenta plantations based on information obtained in previous studies about the behaviour of this group of pathogens in other economically relevant hosts (Bragard et al, 2023).…”

High-quality genome resource of Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae associated with die-back on Eucalyptus trees

“…Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae ( Botryosphaeriaceae , Botryosphaeriales ) was first described in 2008, which is closely related to L. theobromae [ 3 ]. The known hosts include nearly 100 species in 40 families, such as forest trees of Eucalyptus spp., Acacia spp., Pinus spp., crop plants of Gossypium hirsutum , Citrus spp., and ornamental plants of Bougainvillea spectabilis , Magnolia candolei [ 4 ]. The geographic distribution of this pathogen recorded includes China [ 5 – 7 ], Malaysia [ 8 ], Brazil [ 9 ], Venezuela [ 10 ], South Africa [ 11 ], Tunisia [ 12 ] and Spain [ 13 ].…”

Pest categorisation of Coniella castaneicola

“…The European Commission requested the EFSA Panel on Plant Health to conduct a pest categorisation of C. castaneicola following commodity risk assessments of Acer campestre, A. palmatum , A. platanoides, A. pseudoplatanus , Quercus petraea and Q. robur plants from the UK, in which C. castaneicola was identified as a pest of possible concern to the EU (EFSA PLH Panel, 2023a, 2023b, 2023c, 2023d, 2023e, 2023f).…”