Characteristic Variations in Lasiodiplodia theobromae; Pathogen of inflorescence Dieback of Cashew in Growing Ecologies of Nigeria

Nine isolates of Lasiodiplodia theobromae were collected from cashew inflorescences showing typical symptoms of dieback disease in nine different farms belonging to various cashew growing ecologies of Nigeria. The result revealed that most of the L. theobromae isolates exhibited significant differences in morphology, colour and spore dimensions. The colony growth rate of L. theobromae range from 11.95 mm to 14.17 mm, colony texture and colour of the isolates in the obverse were fluffy dark mouse grey, fluffy mouse grey, fluffy olivaceous grey or fluffy groh grey while the reverse colour of the isolates was either greyish blue or sky grey. Sporulation was observed at varied degrees in all the L. theobromae isolates except in isolates from Oro and Ejule and likewise is the numbers of pycnidia produced varied in all the isolates across growing ecologies. Significant variations were observed in the characters and morphology of the L. theobromae isolates causing inflorescence dieback of cashew in Nigeria.