Anthracnose Crown Rot of Strawberry Caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides in Tripoli, Libya

Abstract

Anthracnose Crown Rot (ACR) is an economically important disease of strawberries worldwide. During 2019–2020, severe wilting and plant collapse were observed in commercial fields in Tripoli, Libya. Field surveys indicated that ACR caused losses of up to 20% at the seedling stage and 20% after transplanting. Symptomatic plants showed characteristic red and white marbling of crown tissues, progressing to brown rot and rapid wilting. The causal agent was isolated from crowns and morphologically identified as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex, based on hyaline, oblong conidia and salmon-colored acervuli. Pathogenicity tests on strawberry seedlings reproduced crown rot and wilting symptoms, thereby fulfilling Koch’s postulates. This study confirmed C. gloeosporioides as the causal agent of ACR in Tripoli, Libya, and highlights the urgent need for local disease management research.