Endophytic Fungi Associated with the Crown-of-friar Cactus (Melocactus zehntneri Britton & Rose) in the Semiarid Region of Brazil

Aims: The objective of this study was to identify the occurrence of endophytic fungi associated with the crown-of-friar cactus (Melocactus zehntneri Britton & Rose) in the Brazilian Semi-arid region.

Methodology: The plants were collected in the municipality of Taperoá, State of Paraíba, Brazil and sent to the Phytopathology Laboratory, belonging to the Department of Plant Science and Environmental Sciences, the Federal University of Paraíba in the city of Areia, Paraíba, Brazil. Based on the indirect isolation of the symptomatic tissue fragments, fungal structures were examined under optical microscopy and compared with specialised literature. The removal of vegetative and reproductive structures of fungi, cultivated in BDA medium was carried out at a temperature of 25 ± 2°C and a photoperiod of 12 hours of light.

Results: Fungal genera namely, Colletotrichum sp., Curvularia sp., Fusarium sp., Pestalotipsis sp.e Phomopsis sp. were identified in de crown-of-friar cactus collected in the state of Paraíba. These genera cause diverse symptomatology in this cactus, negatively affecting the crown, base and root of the plant.

Conclusion: The fungal genera Colletotrichum, Curvularia, Fusarium, Pestalotipsis and Phomopsis were found on M. zehntneri plants collected in the state of Paraíba, Brazil.