Abstract:
A serious wilt disease has recently been found
on Prosopis cineraria (Ghaf) in Oman and on
Dalbergia sissoo (Shisham) in Pakistan. Disease symptoms
on both these native, leguminous hosts include
vascular discolouration and partial or complete wilt of
affected trees. A species of Ceratocystis was consistently
isolated from symptomatic material. Morphological
comparisons and analyses of DNA sequence data of
the ITS, β-tubulin, and EF 1-α gene regions showed
that the Ceratocystis isolates obtained from both tree
species represent C. manginecans. This is the same
pathogen that is causing the devastating mango sudden
decline disease in Oman and Pakistan. This is also the
same pathogen that has been reported causing a wilting
disease on Acacia mangium in Indonesia. Cross inoculation
with C. manginecans isolates from P. cineraria,
D. sissoo and mango showed that the fungus can cause
disease on all three trees.
