2). In the non-chlorophylled section, where infection occurs (Ventura, 1994), cv. Vitoria presented less scales, showing a sparser organization on the leave

surface (Table 1 and Fig. 2A) than comparable areas in the susceptible cv. Perola (Table 1 and Fig. 2C), where scales overlap each other, often giving a glaucous aspect to leaves. Cultivar Smooth Cayenne, which displays intermediate severity of fusariosis symptoms, possessed an intermediate number of scales with a relatively sparse organization on the leaf surface (Table 1 and Fig. 2B). The chlorophylled region, where infection does not occur (Ventura, 1994), presented the same number and distribution of scales in all cultivar (Table 1). These results suggest that the ALK inhibitor number of scales can be related to fusariosis establishment. Numbers of isolates of F. guttiforme following disinfection of the leaf and conidial inoculation were also related to the scale density of the cultivar. Selleck Cabozantinib Compared to cv. Perola, only 1.4% and 6.1% of the number of colonies were obtained from cv. Vitoria, and cv. Smooth Cayenne, respectively ( Table 1). Identity of the colonies was confirmed by microscopic identification of representative samples,

and no colonies were obtained from control leaves inoculated with water. Morphological characteristic of the pineapple leaf is that it can function as havens for fungal conidia, and it has been suggested that this could be correlated with epiphytic survival and infection levels (Dianese, 1981). One of the main reasons for the success of fungal pathogens is their ability to locate and perceive appropriate host surfaces and then

to deploy specialized infection structures (Tucker and Talbot, 2001). Successful colonization of the host depends on an efficient mode of infection. The epiphytical phase of leaf pathogens is critical due to unfavorable environmental conditions which could disturb the development of the fungal structures (Struck and Mendgen, 1998). So, the role of the epiphytic stage of the fungus in infection should be an important area of investigation in studies on pineapple. In Bromeliaceae, the peltate scales act as water and nutrient reservoirs (Krauss, 1949 and Souza et al., 2005). This situation may aid fungal adhesion by Suplatast tosilate providing a humid nutrient rich favourable to germination and penetration. Fusarium spores can be easily dispersed by air currents, and once having landed in the scales, such an opportunistic fungus can germinate and begin the process of infection ( Ventura and Zambolim, 2002). The susceptibility of pineapples is linked to unfavorable environmental conditions such as a temperature of 30 °C and high humidity. The pre-penetration stage is the first step in the process of infection and to establish the disease (Leite et al., 2001 and Tucker and Talbot, 2001). F.