Colletotrichum Gloeosporioides Species Complex: Pathogen Causing Anthracnose, Gummosis and Die-Back Diseases of Cashew (Anacardium Occidentale L.) In Ghana

A survey was conducted in twenty-five cashew (Anacardium occidentale) orchards in five communities in the Dormaa-Central Municipality of Bono Region of Ghana to assess the incidence and severity of anthracnose, gummosis and die-back diseases on cashew. Cashew diseased samples of leaves, stem, inflorescences, twigs, flowers, nuts and apples showing symptoms (e. g. small, water-soaked, circular or irregular yellow, dark or brown spots or lesions on leaves, fruits and flowers, sunken surface, especially on the apples, blight, gum exudates) were collected for isolation of presumptive causative organism. The pathogen was isolated after disinfecting the excised diseased pieces in 70% ethanol, plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 28 oC for 3 to 7 days. The identity of the putative pathogen was morphologically and culturally confirmed as belonging to Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex using standard mycological identification protocols. The pathogen had varied conidia sizes of between 9-15 up to 20 μm in length and diameter of 3-6 μm. The conidia were straight and cylindrically shaped with rounded or obtuse ends. The septate mycelium was whitish-grey, velvety and cotton-like in appearance from the top. The results confirmed the presence of the pathogen in the orchards with incidence ranging from 6.9% and 14.0% for gummosis and averaged 22.9% for anthracnose infected orchards. The result of the pathogenicity test confirmed the isolates to be pathogenic on inoculated cashew seedlings and were consistently re-isolated, thereby establishing the pathogen as the true causal agent of the said diseases in cashew trees and thus completed the Koch’s postulate.