Figure 4.

Disease cycle of olive anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum spp. (adapted from Talhinhas et al., 2011). Germination of Colletotrichum spp. conidia on olive leaf surface [A, long germination tubes; B, C, secondary conidiation; D, formation of melanized appressoria (a)]. (E) Spore masses formed on the surface of olive flower buds. Initial phases of olive fruit penetration [F, conidia germination and appressoria formation; G, internal light spots on melanized appressoria; H, penetration peg (pp) formed from appressoria (a) penetrating the fruit cuticle (ct); I, enlargement of the penetration peg when reaching an epidermal cell]. Colonization of olive fruit, with penetration, invasion and necrosis of the mesocarp cells [J–L, multilobed hyphae (mlh) in the first invaded host cell, beneath the penetration peg (pp)]. Proliferation of inter‐ and intracellular hyphae on mesocarp cells (M–P, arrows indicate examples). Production of acervuli, disruption of olive fruit cuticle and release of conidia (Q–S).