GENETIC DIVERSITY OF ISOLATES OF Colletotrichum spp. IN BANANA

ABSTRACT Colletotrichum spp. is a pathogenic fungus of great importance in banana cultivation since it affects the fruit both in the field and in the post-harvest period, depreciating its commercial value. Although this disease is widely distributed in regions of banana cultivation, the different levels of aggression suggest the existence of genetic variability among Colletotrichum spp. isolates. The objective of the present study was therefore to verify the genetic diversity of Colletotrichum spp. in banana fruits presenting anthracnose symptoms using both molecular marker ISSR and morphological characterization. We obtained 30 isolates of the fungus from banana fruits from different states of Brazil and performed molecular characterization with five primers using the ISSR-PCR technique. The results were used to construct a dendrogram, relating the isolates according to their genetic proximity. The morphocultural characterization was performed by analyzing colony coloration and growth rate. These methods allowed us to reveal genetic and morphocultural variability among isolates.