An Eleven-Year Survey on Field Disease Susceptibility of Citrus Accessions to Colletotrichum and Alternaria Species

In the past decade Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, C. karstii, and Alternaria alternata represent emerging fungal pathogens on citrus in Mediterranean basin. Selection of tolerant Citrus germplasm offers evaluable long-term solution should be considered as promising alternative to limit synthetic fungicide application manage infections groves. this study, high variability pre-harvest disease symptoms among 37 accessions was investigated Italy most representative Sicilian production districts covering 1500 ha including 20 homogeneous areas over an eleven-year survey period (2010–2020). Early fruit drop, brown spot, anthracnose leaves, twig blight defoliation associated spp. were identified oranges, mandarins, lemons. Comprehensively, first extensive data obtained herein field susceptibility within “Tarocco” blood orange group above clearly indicate “Tarocco Nucellare 57-1E-1,” Tapi,” Sant’Alfio,” Catania” preferred remaining Tarocco ones. A broad degree tolerance or also observed other it happens for lemon “Femminello Zagara Bianca,” thus demonstrating a putative resource further studies employ breeding program genetic improvement Citrus.