Oral: Fungal Diseases
15-O
Fungi associated with cankers and wounds of cultivated and wild olives in the Western Cape, South Africa
C. SPIES (1), W. van Jaarsveld (2), P. Moyo (3), L. Mostert (2), F. Halleen (4) (1) ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij, South Africa; (2) Stellenbosch University, South Africa; (3) Stellenbosch University, South Africa; (4) ARC Infruite-Nietvoorbij, South Africa
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Olive (Olea europaea subsp. europaea) production in South Africa is centred in the Western Cape Province, where viticulture is the main agricultural enterprise. Wild olive trees (Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata) also occur naturally in this region. Trunk pathogens of grapevines such as Eutypa lata, Neofusicoccum australe, Pleurostoma richardsiae, and species of Phaeoacremonium have been associated with olive trunk diseases in California, Italy and Spain, but the incidence of these on South African olive trees are unknown. The aim of this study was to identify fungi associated with cankers and wounds of cultivated and wild olives in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Isolations from 125 olive and 27 wild olive trees sampled in nine districts yielded a fungal collection dominated by an undescribed Pseudophaeomoniella species. This species has been identified from 54 olive (43%) and 15 wild olive trees (47%) in eight districts. Other fungi, including known olive trunk pathogens, occurred at incidences of 13% or less. This stands in contrast to high incidences of the Botryosphaeriaceae and Phaeoacremonium reported on olive trees in California and Italy. The high incidence and distribution of Pseudophaeomoniella sp. suggests this fungus plays an important role in olive trunk diseases in South Africa.