Abstract Pineapple (Ananas comosus var. comosus) fusariosis is an economically important fungal disease affecting the plant and its fruit. A rapid and reliable diagnosis is the base of integrated disease management practices. Fusariosis has resulted in quarantines for pineapple products in Central America, Africa and Asia. Difficulties diagnosing and correctly identifying the fungus Fusarium guttiforme, agent of the pineapple fusariosis, have led to the search for new methodologies, and for this we developed a new reliable molecular method to detect it. For diagnostic purposes, real-time PCR of elongation factor gene 1-α (ef1) was used to rapidly, specifically and sensitively diagnose F. guttiforme. A pathogenicity test was conducted with slips of the... |