Advances in Research to Combat Black Spot Disease in Eucommia ulmoides

Maria Luiza De Grandi, journalist from Ciência Rural, Santa Maria RS, Brazil.

Shuying Li, Sichuan Agricultural University. Sichuan Province, China.

A small tree from southern China, the species Eucommia ulmoides is the only species in the Eucommiaceae family of flowering plants – angiosperms. The species, although scarce, continues to be cultivated for its bark, an important ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Researchers from Sichuan Agricultural University isolated the pathogen P. trachicarpicola, which causes black spot disease, with the aim of identifying and combating this microorganism. The research resulted in the article Biological characteristics of a new pathogen in the black spot of Eucommia ulmoides published in Ciência Rural (vol.54, n.6, 2024).

Eucommia ulmoides is a unique plant considered a “living fossil” in China. It has high economic and ecological value. Most cases of E. ulmoides black spot disease in southwest China have occurred in recent years. For researchers, understanding the species and their biological characteristics of pathogens is of great importance in preventing and controlling plant diseases. During the development of the study, researchers isolated the pathogen P. trachicarpicola, verified it by Koch’s postulates, identified it by morphology and molecular biology, and evaluated its biological characteristics.

The results indicated that Pestalotiopsis  trachicarpicola was a new pathogen that causes Eucommia ulmoides black spot disease, and appropriate environmental conditions are more conducive to the growth of the pathogen and the germination of spores, which leads to the occurrence of the disease.

Imagem: Pixabay

To combat the disease, researchers took the lead in isolating, characterizing, and evaluating the biology of pathogenic microorganisms that cause the disease. “The pathogen isolation test also proved that P. trachicarpicola was the pathogen that caused E. ulmoides black spot.

Some researchers have shown that the pathogen also causes palm leaf spot disease, grape stem disease, and soft fruit rot,” the researchers explained. Based on the present study, future research should also try to understand the disease cycle and disease epidemiology, select pesticides, and facilitate the breeding of good seedlings that have disease resistance.

To read the article, access

SHUYING, L., et al. Biological characteristics of a new pathogen in Eucommiaulmoides black spot. Cienc. Rural [online]. 2024, vol. 54, no. 6, e20220115 [viewed 29 January 2025]. https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-8478cr20220115. Available from: https://www.scielo.br/j/cr/a/QmyMqKWMkPkrPBYMB4sqNDR/?lang=en

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