Sources, Detection, and Inoculum Quantification of Flower Blight Pathogens in Macadamia

Dry flower disease caused by Pestalotiopsis/Neopestalotiopsis spp., green mold caused by Cladosporium spp., and gray mold caused by Botrytis spp., collectively known as flower blight cause significant yield losses in macadamia. Potential sources of inoculum of the various pathogens in macadamia tree canopy were examined using pathogenicity tests and a multiplex quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay developed in this study. The qPCR assay detected and quantified the relative abundance of the inoculum of flower blight pathogens. The assay revealed that remnant racemes contributed a high amount of inoculum of all the three groups of flower blight pathogens, while the yellow halo leaf spot contributed only Pestalotiopsis/Neopestalotiopsis species. The amount of conidia per gram of remnant racemes ranged from 7 x 10(3) to 2 x 10(4) for dry flower disease, 3 x 10(3) to 1 x 10(4) for green mold, and 5 to 8 x 10(3) for gray mold pathogens. Conidia of Pestalotiopsis/Neopestalotiopsis species quantified from leaf spots varied from 1 x 10(2) to 1 x 10(3) per cm(2). Pathogenicity tests performed on developing racemes under field conditions, using conidial suspensions from both sources of inoculum (remnant racemes and yellow halo leaf spot), resulted in severe flower bight symptoms. Disease severity was not significantly different (P > 0.05) when remnant racemes were incubated directly with the developing racemes compared with inoculation with conidial suspension from the material. This suggests that racemes from preceding seasons that remain in the tree canopy carryover inoculum between seasons and should be removed as a control option for flower blights in macadamia orchards.

Automated summary

A multiplex quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay was developed to detect and quantify the inoculum sources of various flower blight pathogens in the macadamia canopy. The assay revealed that remnant racemes served as the main inoculum source for all the pathogens, while yellow halo leaf spot contributed only specific species. Pathogenicity tests on developing racemes confirmed the findings and suggested the removal of remnant racemes as a control measure for flower blights in macadamia orchards.