1. Quais são os sintomas de antracnose em Schlumbergera gaertneri?
Os sintomas de antracnose em Schlumbergera gaertneri incluem a perda do valor ornamental dos individuos acometidos. Os sintomas podem variar, mas geralmente envolvem manchas marrons ou pretas nas folhas, caules e flores da planta. A antracnose pode causar danos estruturais e reduzir a vitalidade da planta. É importante identificar e tratar a antracnose para manter a saúde e aparência das plantas de Schlumbergera gaertneri.
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2. What is the significance of Schlumbergera spp.?
Schlumbergera spp. comprises a genus of epiphytic cacti native to the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. Despite not being extensively studied, these species hold great ornamental and economic value, as they are widely cultivated worldwide for flower production between autumn and late spring. Among the species, Schlumbergera gaertneri, commonly known as the Whitsun cactus, is one of the most prevalent, often found in Southern Brazilian homes. The genus is scientifically and economically important due to its global distribution and occurrence on various hosts. However, the disease anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum spp., poses a threat to these plants, leading to brown lesions and reduced flowering. The objective of the study was to isolate, characterize, and identify the causal agent of anthracnose in S. gaertneri using morphological and molecular techniques.
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3. What were the observed symptoms of anthracnose in S. gaertneri arthicles?
In March 2021, S. gaertneri arthicles exhibited irregular and strongly depressed dark brown spots, ranging from 6 to 17 mm in diameter. These symptoms were observed in individuals grown in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Approximately 15% of the arthicles were affected, leading to some falling off and compromising floral bud emission during the subsequent flowering period. Symptomatic arthicles were collected and analyzed at the Phytopathology Laboratory 'Dr.Elocy Minussi' at the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria's Department of Plant Protection.
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4. How are fungal isolates obtained and purified?
Fungal isolates are obtained by transferring fungal structures grown on necrotic areas to Petri plates containing synthetic Merck KGaA(r) Batata-Dextrose-Agar (BDA) culture medium. After seven days of growth, the isolates are purified using the monospore culture technique, where a single spore is used to obtain a pure fungal culture. At five days of growth, two distinct colonies are selected and stored in the laboratory fungus collection for further use. This process ensures the isolation and purification of fungal isolates for research purposes.
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