The objective of this work was to follow the process of infection, colonization and reproduction of different isolates of Colletotrichum spp. in coffee plantlets, obtained by embryo culture, using scanning electron microscopy. The embryo explants were obtained from coffee seeds cv. Rubi. Plants produced in vitro were inoculated with 5µL of a 10(6) conidia.mL-1 spore suspension, on the hypocotyl region and leaves, wounding with an entomological needle. Isolates of Colletotrichum gloesporioides were obtained from stem (IS) and leaves (IL) from plants with symptoms of greasy leaf spot, and from mangos with symptoms of anthracnose (IM). Isolates of Colletotrichum dematium were obtained from healthy coffee plants. Three hours after inoculation (h.a.i.), leaves and hypocotyl fragments were transferred to 1.5mL-microtubes containing modified Karnovsky's fixative solution. Further samples were collected at 3, 5, 12, 16, 24, 48, 72, 96, 114 and 144 h.a.i. Conidia of all isolates adhered more frequently in the depressions of hypocotyls and guard-cells, forming a septum 5 h.a.i. Germ tubes were observed 12 h.a.i. starting from the extremities as well as laterally in the conidia. Appressoria were produced by C. dematium (globoses, trilobullated and foot and comma-shaped), and C. gloeosporioides, respectively globoses, 24 h.a.i. C. gloeosporioides (IH and IF) produced conidiogenic cells 48 h.a.i. Acervuli were produced 72 h.a.i. by C. gloeosporioides (IH), 96 h.a.i. by C. dematium. C. gloeosporioides isolated from mango colonized coffee plant tissues, producing conidiogenic cells without production of acervuli. The most aggressive isolates were IS and IL.
greasy leaf spot; scanning electronic microscopy; Colletotrichum gloeosporioides; Colletotrichum dematium
