Neocosmospora spp. associated with dry root rot of citrus in South Africa

Citrus is one of the most important fruit crops cultivated in South Africa. Internationally, citrus dry root rot a common disease major production areas. Several abiotic and biotic factors are involved development, which Neocosmospora species agents. The diversity associated with symptoms trees Africa was evaluated using morphological molecular analyses. Multi-locus analysis conducted, based on fragments seven loci including: ATP citrate lyase (acl1), calmodulin (cal), internal transcribed spacer region rRNA (ITS), large subunit (LSU), RNA polymerase largest (rpb1), second (rpb2), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1). A total 62 strains representing 11 were isolated from crowns, trunks roots affected by rot, as well soils sampled orchards. commonly taxa N. citricola, ferruginea solani, while rarely encountered included brevis, crassa, hypothenemi noneumartii. Furthermore, four also newly described, namely addoensis, gamtoosensis lerouxii.