Caracterização da agressividade e atividade enzimática de isolados de colletotrichum spp. Associados à antracnose do abacate

Abstract

Anthracnose is the main post-harvest disease affecting avocado. This study aimed to characterize the aggressiveness and the enzyme activity of 30 isolates of Colletotrichum spp. from avocado. Avocados ‘Fuerte’ were inoculated with PDA disc containing structures from each isolate and after seven days the diameter of lesions was measured. Two groups of isolates were distinguished according to their aggressiveness based on Scott-Knott test (p=0.05), the first one showed lesions between 34.0 and 38.2 mm and the second one showed lesions between 38.7 and 44.0 mm in diameter. Enzymatic characterization consisted in evaluating the areas of halos formed on specific substrates for detection of amylase, cellulase, laccase, lipase, pectate lyase and protease, as well as catalase enzyme activity. Isolates did not produce amylase sufficient for halo formation on culture medium. All isolates produced catalase, pectate lyase and protease, while 46% produced laccase and 97% had cellulase and lipase activity detected. Two groups of isolates were distinguished for the enzymes catalase and pectate lyase, five groups for cellulase, six groups for laccase, and seven groups for the enzymes lipase and protease, according to Scott-Knott test (p=0.05). There was no relationship between enzyme activities and aggressiveness of the isolates.