Blueberry silverleaf: Morpho genetic diversity of Chondrostereum purpureum isolates that are affecting blueberries
R. A. FRANCE (1), V. Becerra (1). (1) INIA, Chillan, Chile
The increasing production and expansion of the blueberry in Chile has resulted in a major industry, today the country is the third producer and the second exporter in the world. The cultivated area stretched along 1,400 Km from north to south, and new diseases have been reported along this area, including ones only described in Chile. This is the case of Silver leaf, caused by the basidiomycete <i>Chondrostereum purpureum</i> (Pers.:Fr.) Pouzar, which has been detected only in this country affecting <i>Vaccinium corymbosum</i> plants. Furthermore, this is the only detection of <i>C. purpureum</i> in the <i>Vaccinium</i> genus or the Ericacea family worldwide. The goal of this research was to characterize the <i>Chondrostereum purpureum</i> strain that causes silver leaf in the Chilean blueberry plantations. Samples from symptomatic plants were collected along the planted area, cultured in agar media and characterized by colony morphology, color and growth rate at different temperatures. Also, morphology of the mycelium, clamp connections and terminal hyphae were studied. The DNA analysis includes amplification, sequencing and restriction of the ITS PCR products (PCR-RFLPs) and RAMS markers. Morphological and molecular differences were detected in the <i>C. purpureum</i> population that is affecting blueberries, indicating a significant variability inside the fungus. This may explain the appearance of new susceptible variety per season and the variations in symptomatology as the disease expands.
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