First Report of a Postharvest Fruit Rot on Apple Caused by Diaporthe phaseolorum var. caulivora in China: A Note

Abstract

Brown rots of Red Fuji apples were observed in Hangzhou city (Zhengjiang Province, China). The causal agent was isolated and identified in both morphological and molecular genetic levels. The phenotype and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the isolate was Diaporthe phaseolorum var. caulivora, and its pathogenicity on apple fruit was confirmed by re-inoculation experiment. To our knowledge, this is the first report of D. phaseolorum var. caulivora causing postharvest fruit rot on apple in China.