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Microorganisms
Volume 14
Issue 1
10.3390/microorganisms14010261
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Review

Colletotrichum Species Associated with Alfalfa Anthracnose: An Overview and Historical Perspective

by
Vojislav Trkulja
1,2,3,
Tanja Vasić
4,
Ranka Milašin
2,
Nenad Trkulja
5,
Slavica Matić
6,
Milan Stević
7,
Sanja Živković
4 and
Tatjana Popović Milovanović
5,*
1
Agricultural Institute of Republic of Srpska, Knjaza Miloša 17, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
2
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Banja Luka, Bulevar Vojvode Petra Bojovića 1A, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
3
Academy of Sciences and Arts of the Republic of Srpska, Bana Lazarevića 1, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
4
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Niš, Kosančićeva 4, 37000 Kruševac, Serbia
5
Institute for Plant Protection and Environment, Teodora Drajzera 9, 11040 Belgrade, Serbia
6
Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences (SAAF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
7
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Nemanjina 6, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Microorganisms 2026, 14(1), 261; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14010261 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 9 December 2025 / Revised: 19 January 2026 / Accepted: 20 January 2026 / Published: 22 January 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Plant Pathogens)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Alfalfa anthracnose is an economically significant disease that leads to substantial biomass losses due to stem rot, reduced stand longevity, and a decline in forage nutritional quality. The disease is caused by multiple species within the genus Colletotrichum, including the 14 described species: C. gloeosporioides, C. truncatum, C. lindemuthianum, C. destructivum, C. dematium, C. trifolii, C. medicaginis, C. graminicola, C. coccodes, C. sojae, C. spinaciae, C. lini, C. americae-borealis, and C. tofieldiae. A thorough understanding of key aspects of the pathogen’s biology, along with its epidemiology, infection cycle, and accurate disease diagnosis, is essential for the development of sustainable management strategies. Knowledge of these factors allows us to anticipate disease outbreaks, implement timely interventions, and design integrated control measures that reduce reliance on chemical fungicides while maintaining crop productivity and forage quality. Although anthracnose management has traditionally relied on synthetic fungicides, this review synthesizes alternative control strategies to clarify the current state of knowledge and to provide new insights into the development of effective and sustainable approaches for managing Colletotrichum species.
Keywords: Medicago sativa L.; fungal disease; Colletotrichum spp.; epidemiology; control Medicago sativa L.; fungal disease; Colletotrichum spp.; epidemiology; control

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MDPI and ACS Style

Trkulja, V.; Vasić, T.; Milašin, R.; Trkulja, N.; Matić, S.; Stević, M.; Živković, S.; Popović Milovanović, T. Colletotrichum Species Associated with Alfalfa Anthracnose: An Overview and Historical Perspective. Microorganisms 2026, 14, 261. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14010261

AMA Style

Trkulja V, Vasić T, Milašin R, Trkulja N, Matić S, Stević M, Živković S, Popović Milovanović T. Colletotrichum Species Associated with Alfalfa Anthracnose: An Overview and Historical Perspective. Microorganisms. 2026; 14(1):261. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14010261

Chicago/Turabian Style

Trkulja, Vojislav, Tanja Vasić, Ranka Milašin, Nenad Trkulja, Slavica Matić, Milan Stević, Sanja Živković, and Tatjana Popović Milovanović. 2026. "Colletotrichum Species Associated with Alfalfa Anthracnose: An Overview and Historical Perspective" Microorganisms 14, no. 1: 261. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14010261

APA Style

Trkulja, V., Vasić, T., Milašin, R., Trkulja, N., Matić, S., Stević, M., Živković, S., & Popović Milovanović, T. (2026). Colletotrichum Species Associated with Alfalfa Anthracnose: An Overview and Historical Perspective. Microorganisms, 14(1), 261. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14010261

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