Goudarzi A (2023) Anthracnose disease of citrus. Plant Pathology Science 12(2):117-129.
Colletotrichum species are the causal agents of diseases including leaf spots, fruit rots and dieback in a wide range of plant hosts such as citrus, banana, strawberry, avocado, papaya, mango and apple. In citrus, important diseases including anthracnose, post harvest anthracnose, key lime anthracnose and postbloom fruit drop are caused by different species of Colletotrichum which are of the major limitations of citrus production in many citrus producing countries worldwide. Colletotrichum gloeosporioides has been identified as the main cause of citrus anthracnose. The disease symptoms include dieback of branches and twigs, leaf spot, fruit rot and abscission of leaves and small fruits. In the case of epidemic occurrence, the damage caused by the disease on different species and cultivars of citrus is very significant. The economic losses caused by the disease is mainly related to damage to the vegetative parts of citrus trees, as well as decay and reduction of market value of the fruits. So far, citrus anthracnose and postharvest anthracnose caused by C. gloeosporioides, C. fructicola, C. siamense, C. karstii and C. novae-zelandiae have been reported from Iran. In addition, dieback and postbloom fruit drop caused by C. gloeosporioides are of the common challenges of citrus production in the north of the country. Sanitation, management of irrigation and nutrition, control of pests, diseases and weeds and use of chemical fungicides, especially strobilurins, are effective approaches of the disease management. In order to prevent the emergence of resistant populations of the causal agents, the use of fungicides should be carried out with periodicity.
