Diaporthe manilkarae sp. nov. (Diaporthaceae) on Manilkara zapota (Sapotaceae) from Guangdong Province, China

Manilkara zapota (L.) P. Royen is an evergreen ornamental and fruit tree distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. In 2022, a leaf spot disease was observed on M. zapota plants in Guangdong Province, China. The putative pathogen was isolated and identified based on morphology and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses of tub2, ITS, tef1-alpha, cal and his3. Based on morphology and phylogenetic analyses, the causal agent was identified as a novel species namely Diaporthe manilkarae. Furthermore, pathogenicity essays were conducted using potted seedlings to confirm the pathogenicity. The results revealed that this fungus was able to infect wounded M. zapota leaves and develop typical symptoms similar to field symptoms whereas control and non-wounded leaves remained asymptomatic. This study will contribute to the knowledge of fungi associated with M. zapota. Further studies are required to understand the pathogenicity of this fungi on other fruit crops.