The papaya (Carica papaya) is one of the most important tropical fruit crops and its fruit contribute with a production of 1.65 millions tons/year in Brazil. An isolated of Phytophthora sp. gotten from papaya fruits cv. Hawaii, in the state of Alagoas, was characterized morphologically and its pathogenicity to this fruits and seedling was confirmed. In a V-8 medium, the sporangiophores presented to be slim, simple or little ramified, while the sporangia presented ovoid to ellipsoid, prominently papillae and one short pedicel in the basal portion, measuring in average 37,68 x 27,52 (m. Through the characteristics presented by the isolated and the induced symptoms, the causal agent was identified as Phytophthora palmivora. Despite of this disease already occurring in other states like in Bahia, Espirito Santo, São Paulo, Pernambuco and Pará, this is the first report of Phytophthora palmivora on papaya in the state of Alagoas, Brazil.
Carica papaya; etiology; occurrence
