[ISOLATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND PATHOGENICITY FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH PETRI'S DISEASE]

Background: Peru has become the leading exporter of table grapes focusing its production in the Piura and Ica regions. However, most of the young vineyards (<5 years) in the Piura region have been showing symptoms of Petri's disease. Objective: To isolate, identify and pathogenicity evaluation of fungi associated with Petri disease. Methodology: Isolates were obtained from necrotic streaks in vascular bundles in plants with symptoms of the Petri disease. Identification was performed with the keys proposed by Mostert, by means of macro and microscopic observations. Pathogenicity tests were also performed by measuring the advancement of the length of the necrotic streak (LNE). Results: By their cultural and microscopic characteristics, the following were identified: Phaeoacremonium spp, P. krajdenii, P. inflatipes, P. parasiticum and Phaeomoniella chlamydospora. All the selected isolates were pathogenic in pathogenicity tests 75 days post inoculation (DPI), being the Phaeoacremonium species the ones that presented higher LNE compared to Pa. chlamydospora, which demonstrates their capacity for colonization of vascular bundles and wood degradation. Implications: The pathogens Phaeoacremonium spp, P. krajdenii, P. inflatipes, P. parasiticum and Phaeomoniella chlamydospora are related to Petri's disease in the Piura-Peru region. Conclusion: Phaeoacremonium species showed higher pathogenicity than Pa. chlamydospora 75 DPI. Also, P. inflatipes was morphologically identified in the Piura region requiring molecular identification for corroboration.