Update on the situation of Phyllosticta citricarpa in Tunisia
Phyllosticta citricarpa (citrus black spot - EPPO A1 List) was first confirmed in Tunisia in 2019 in the Governorate of Nabeul (municipalities of Beni Khalled, Bou Argoub and Menzel Bouzelfa) (EPPO RS 2019/141). Surveys conducted in 2021 further detected the pathogen in three additional municipalities in the Governorate of Nabeul (Soliman, Grombalia, Dar Chaben El Fehri) as well as in the municipality of Chott Mariem in the Governorate of Sousse (RS 2024/090). In surveys conducted by Ioos et al. between 2021 and 2023, in 10 municipalities of Nabeul and Sousse gouvernorates, infested citrus orchards were detected in 6 municipalities of Nabeul (Bou Argoub, Dar Chaben El Fehri, Grombalia, Menzel Bouzelfa, Nabeul, and Hammamet) and 1 in Sousse (Akouda).
The NPPO of Tunisia recently informed the EPPO Secretariat that official eradication measures had been applied for the last 5 years in all infested orchards. This lead to a drastic decrease in the incidence of the disease. During the production season 2024-2025, only 10 orchards were found to be infested, all located in the Governorate of Nabeul (municipalities of Bou Argoub and Grombalia). All the other zones of production are declared as pest free since 2022.
The pest status Phyllosticta citricarpa in Tunisia is officially declared as: Present, only in some areas (Governorate of Nabeul), under official control.
Sources
Ioos R, Mannai S, Jeandel C, Benfradj N, Vicent A, Boughalleb-M'hamdi N, Aguayo J (2024) Mating type and microsatellite genotyping indicate that the Tunisian population of Phyllosticta citricarpa is clonal and thrives only asexually. Fungal biology 128(3), 1806-13.
NPPO of Tunisia (2025-02).