Temporal analysis of bacterial leaf blight in clonal Eucalyptus plantations in Brazil

Abstract

Bacterial leaf blight is an important disease in Eucalyptus spp. plantations since it can cause defoliation, affecting plant development. A better understanding of the disease epidemiology is important for its control. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze bacterial leaf blight temporal progress in the initial establishment in the field of different eucalyptus clones. It also targeted to correlate the incidence and area under the disease-progress curve (AUDPC), with variables related to growth and meteorological data. Bacterial leaf blight progress curves were analyzed based on incidence and carried out AUDPC calculation. Pearson’s coefficient was used to verify the correlations between bacterial leaf blight incidence and AUDPC with clone initial growth and meteorological factors. Gompertz or Logistic models were the best adjustment to data, according to the assessed clones. A difference in AUDPC was observed between clones regarding bacterial leaf blight incidence during the assessment period. Clones were divided into three groups with different tolerance levels. A negative correlation was observed between bacterial leaf blight incidence, AUDPC, and growth variables of clones. During the assessment period, average air temperature, rainfall, and air relative humidity favored disease incidence. The clones A469, VM01, and 373 were the most tolerant to the disease.