Plant pathogenic fungi of four tree species at urban context

Abstract

Trees pathology advances with economically important trees species, but it is poorly developed in other areas; the introduction of trees and shrubs to the cities far from their natural condition has induced the expression of unknown ethiology diseases, being Croton bogotensis, Ficus soatensis, Fraxinus chinensis and Liquidambar styraciflua, some of the affected species, especially on leaves, in Bogota. The determination of the pathogenical fungi for these four tree species was made by isolation of the fungal population associated to sick tissues and evaluation of the Koch's postulates in vitro and in field. The pathogenical activity was confirmed for Alternaria alternata and Monocillium mucidum on L. styraciflua, for Fusarium acuminatum, Fusarium oxysporum and Nigrospora sphaerica on F. soatensis, for Ascochyta sp. on F. chinensis and for N. sphaerica, Phyllosticta sp. and Acremonium strictum on C. bogotensis, at leaves and petioles.