First Report and Molecular Characterization of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Associated with Anthracnose of Olive Fruit in the Pothwar Plateau of Pakistan

Abstract

This study reports the first identification of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides as the causal agent of anthracnose disease on olive fruit in Pakistan. During disease surveillance in olive orchards of Pothwar Plateau (32 ° 33 ′ and 34 °   3 ′   N, and 71 ° 89 ′ and 73 ° 37 ′ E), anthracnose symptoms were observed in multiple farmer fields with disease incidence up to 85% and prevalence of 93%. Morphological identification, followed by molecular confirmation through ITS sequencing, identified Colletotrichum gloeosporioides as the pathogen responsible for fruit rot/anthracnose. Pathogenicity tests confirmed its ability to infect healthy olive fruits, causing typical anthracnose symptoms. This is the first documented occurrence of C. gloeosporioides on olive in Pakistan, contributing significant insights into the fungal pathogens impacting olive cultivation in the region.