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The pathogenicity study of Pestalotiopsis palmarum was carried out on the leaves of Washingtonia
robusta, using two artificial inoculation methods: mycelial discs and conidial suspension. P. palmarum
was isolated from the leaves of W. robusta showing chlorosis symptoms during a study conducted on the
mycoflora associated with this ornamental palm.
In vitro, artificial inoculation of healthy leaves of W. robusta showed that P.palmarum can induce
significant symptoms after 7 days of inoculation with the mycelial discs, pathogenicity was also
significant with a percentage of 40.16% infection when the leaves were inoculated with the conidial
suspension, which was higher compared to inoculation with mycelial discs with an infection percentage
of 25.66%. All the developed lesions were sporulating, therefore able to provide a source of a secondary
inoculum.
Keywords: Washingtonia robusta, Pestalotiopsis palmarum, pathogenicity, inoculation, sporulation, lesions.