Blight refers to a specific symptom affecting plants in response to infection by a pathogenic organism.
Fungal infection, also known as mycosis, is a disease caused by fungi. Different types are traditionally divided according to the part of the body affected; superficial, subcutaneous, and systemic. Superficial fungal infections include common tinea of the skin, such as tinea of the body, groin, hands, feet and beard, and yeast infections such as pityriasis versicolor. Subcutaneous types include eumycetoma and chromoblastomycosis, which generally affect tissues in and beneath the skin. Systemic fungal infections are more serious and include cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, pneumocystis pneumonia, aspergillosis and mucormycosis. Signs and symptoms range widely. There is usually a rash with superficial infection. Fungal infection within the skin or under the skin may present with a lump and skin changes. Pneumonia-like symptoms or meningitis may occur with a deeper or systemic infection.
Alternaria is a genus of Deuteromycetes fungi. All species are known as major plant pathogens. They are also common allergens in humans, growing indoors and causing hay fever or hypersensitivity reactions that sometimes lead to asthma. They are present in the human mycobiome and readily cause opportunistic infections in immunocompromised people such as AIDS patients.
Colletotrichum acutatum is a plant pathogen and endophyte. It is the organism that causes the most destructive fungal disease, anthracnose, of lupin species worldwide. It also causes the disease postbloom fruit drop on many varieties of citrus, especially Valencia and navel oranges in Florida.
Phytophthora citricola is a plant pathogen. It was first described by Kaneyoshi (Kenkichi) Sawada in 1927 when it was isolated from orange trees in present-day Taiwan. It has since been found causing disease on a wide variety of plants.
Phytophthora citrophthora, also known as brown rot of citrus, is a soil borne oomycete that infects several economically important citrus crops. A diagnostic symptom of P. citrophthora is gummosis, wherein lesions around the base of the tree exude sap. Other common symptoms include dark longitudinal lesions forming at the soil line, a sour smell, and eventual cracking of the bark. Advanced symptoms include yellowing and necrosis of the tree canopy. Girdling action caused by the pathogen around the trunk can often cause the collapse of the tree. Resistant lemon varieties have been developed and their implementation has been effective at controlling the spread of the disease. Fruits that have been infected with P. citrophthora exhibit symptoms of brown rot characterized by a distinct odor. This disease is most active in the moderate temperatures of spring, fall, and winter months, opposite of most other Phytophthora species.
Erythricium salmonicolor is a species of fungus in the family Corticiaceae. Basidiocarps are effused, corticioid, smooth, and pinkish and grow on wood. The fungus is a commercially significant plant pathogen which has become a serious problem, especially in Brazil. Erythricium salmonicolor causes Pink Disease, most commonly in Citrus, although E. salmonicolor has a wide host range including rubber and cacao trees. Pink Disease causes branch and stem die-back due to canker formation. The cankers are recognizable by gum exudation and longitudinal splitting of the bark.
Mucor piriformis is a plant pathogen that causes a soft rot of several fruits known as Mucor rot. Infection of its host fruits, such as apples and pears, takes place post-harvest. The fungi can also infect citrus fruits.
Schizothyrium pomi is a plant pathogen of the sooty blotch and flyspeck complex, infecting apple, pear and citrus trees and carnations.
Phyllosticta capitalensis is a cosmopolitan fungal plant pathogen that grows on many hosts either as an endophyte or as a saprobe on dead tissue, including species of Citrus and Musa (bananas). There are some reports of it infecting orchids, such as cattleyas or Cymbidium.
Mycosphaerella citri is a fungal plant pathogen infecting citruses.
Septoria citri is a fungal plant pathogen infecting citruses.
Alternaria citri is a fungal plant pathogen that causes black rot in citrus plants.
Alternaria limicola is a plant pathogen affecting citruses. It is the cause of the Mancha foliar de los citricos disease.
Penicillium italicum is a fungal plant pathogen. It is a common post harvest disease commonly associated with citrus fruits.
Penicillium ulaiense is a plant pathogen that causes whisker mould. It is considered an important infection of citrus fruit, especially in packinghouses. P. ulaiense is a citrus postharvest pathogenic fungus described as a member of the serie Italica, together with P. italicum. In 1987, mycologists in Taiwan published a description of P. ulaiense. Authors familiar with green and blue moulds of citrus had mistaken the fungus for P. italicum and dismissed its unique features as variations due to particular environmental conditions. To date, P. ulaiense has been reported in Argentina, Arizona, Australia, California, Florida, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Taiwan, and Texas. In recent times, P. ulaiense has been reported in Egypt as a postharvest pathogen of orange fruit.
Elsinoë australis is a fungal plant pathogen that causes sweet orange scab (SOS). The disease only attacks the fruit of citrus trees, causing the formation of pustules and lesions on the skin of the fruit. The spores of the fungus are spread from tree to tree by rain splash. It can be controlled by the use of various fungicides including strobulins and thiophanate methyl.
Citrus exocortis is a disease of citrus plants, caused by the Citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd). It can cause stunted growth and reduced yields in affected plants. The disease is also sometimes called "scalybutt". CEVd can also infect tomato plants. The resulting disease is sometimes called "tomato bunchy top disease."
Penicillium digitatum is a mesophilic fungus found in the soil of citrus-producing areas. It is a major source of post-harvest decay in fruits and is responsible for the widespread post-harvest disease in Citrus fruit known as green rot or green mould. In nature, this necrotrophic wound pathogen grows in filaments and reproduces asexually through the production of conidiophores and conidia. However, P. digitatum can also be cultivated in the laboratory setting. Alongside its pathogenic life cycle, P. digitatum is also involved in other human, animal and plant interactions and is currently being used in the production of immunologically based mycological detection assays for the food industry.
