Pathogenicity and frequency of Fusarium species associated with the pineapple plant and fruit in Costa Rica
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15517/am.2025.60796Keywords:
Ananas comosus, postharvest diseases, molds, phytopathologyAbstract
Introduction. Costa Rica is one of the largest producers and exporters of pineapple worldwide, however, production and post-harvest handling are difficult due to phytosanitary problems caused by fungi of the genus Fusarium. Objective. To determine the pathogenicity of different Fusarium species associated with the pineapple plant and fruit, and their frequency in the main production areas of Costa Rica. Material and methods. The experiments were performed at the University of Costa Rica, San Jose, from 2015 to 2019. Pathogenicity tests were carried out using inoculation with six Fusarium species, in bracts, peduncles, and fruits of pineapple, and it was verified using Koch´s postulates. By collecting 120 isolates, the frequency of Fusarium species in the producing areas was established. Results. All Fusarium species caused damage to bracts. The largest lesions were caused by F. oxysporum. In fruit, internal lesions were observed in the pulp with F. ananatum, and a correlation between lesion size and the concentration of inoculated conidia, was found. In the peduncle and pulp, lesion diameter varied among Fusarium species. Regarding frequency, all Fusarium species were present in the Huetar Norte region, and F. ananatum was more abundant in all producing regions, except for the Brunca region. Conclusions. All the species analyzed were pathogenic in the pineapple crop, in bracts, peduncles, and fruit, where F. oxyporum and F. ananatum caused the greatest lesions. The presence in all pineapple areas, the pathogenic potential, and the production of mycotoxins determine the importance of taking precise measures to control and prevent the dispersion of the species of this genus.
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Copyright (c) 2025 María Díaz-Gutiérrez, Oscar Castro-Zúñiga, Gerardina Umaña-Rojas, Valery Webb, Mónica Blanco-Meneses

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