Abstract

Species of Botriosphaeriaceae family in Chilean production of Hass avocado can cause canker dieback in young and old avocado trees, which affect trunk and branch, producing damage and tissue death. The infection begin at the vascular tissue and is spread systemically to others healthy parts of the plant, altering the water and nutrients distribution. This condition can affect the accumulation and availability of reserves, which are mainly located on the trunk and branches, necessary for fruiting the following season; thus, canker dieback can reduce productivity of the orchard. Also, this disease produced in preharvest can generate latent infections inside the fruit, causing rot that affects the normal development of fruit during postharvest.A prospective research is been developed in Chilean Hass avocado orchards, from Illapel (31° 37’S) until Melipilla (33°33’S). Some of the data being registered to study its relationship with the disease are orchard age, climatic variables, soil chemical and physical features, irrigation management, and abiotic stress problems, such as drought, salinity, extreme temperatures, wind and mechanical damage. Other variables that are being take into account are pruning and girdling managements, pest and other pathogens that could raise host susceptibility.So far, we have found that there are abiotic factors that predispose to damage avocados trees and fruits by this complex of fungi. Symptoms have been detected in most of the visited orchards, but the incidence and severity depend heavily of pre and postharvest handling.