S14 - Session P5 - First characterization of Botrytis cinerea isolates from main producing blueberry area of Perú

Authors: Andres V. Casas Diaz *, Elias Tauma, Olenka Alberca, Alexis Dueas, Liliana Aragon, Walter Apaza, Heidi Huarhua, Luz Ccoscco

Botrytis cinerea , the gray mold causal agent on blueberries, causes considerable losses to blueberry growers in Peru, the leading exporter of this fruit worldwide. Despite the great economic importance of this crop for the country, there are no studies about the populations of B. cinerea present in the blueberry production fields. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize phenotypically and genetically to B. cinerea isolates from blueberry fields located at La Libertad, the main producing area of Peru. Morphological criteria and applications of PCR as molecular methods were used in this research. Twenty-eight isolates of B. cinerea identified by morphological characteristics were recovered from blueberry flowers and fruits collected from different fields. The isolates were classified into two morphological phenotypes (mycelial and sclerotial). In addition, differences were observed in their capacity for mycelial growth at different temperatures (5, 15, 20, 25 and 28 ° C). All the isolates were identified as B. cinerea using the specific primer pair C729+ /C729-. Both Transposa and Boty genotypes were detected, however Transposa group was predominant. The mating types MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 were found with similar frequencies. In addition, B. cinerea S subpopulation was more prevalent than B. cinerea N. In conclusion, this is the first study to show the phenotypic variability and genetic groups of B. cinerea present in the main blueberry producing area of Peru. It should be noted the predominance of B. cinerea S, which had a differentiated development than B. cinerea N in response to fungicide treatments, representing a potential risk for the disease management.