Dacampiaceae

Dacampiaceae is a family of ascomycetous fungi recognized primarily as lichenicolous organisms. In an agricultural context, these fungi are not traditional pathogens of crops, but rather specialized inhabitants of lichen communities that colonize the bark of perennial fruit trees, including apples, pears, and stone fruits.

The causal agents are fungi belonging to the order Pleosporales. Their biological type is characterized as lichenicolous parasitism or saprotrophy. Unlike common plant pathogens, they do not infect the host plant tissues directly, but rather derive nutrients from the lichenized fungi occupying the surface of the tree bark.

The host organisms are various species of lichens. While they do not damage the plant itself, their presence marks the decline of the lichen covering the tree. The main area of concern for agronomists is when the dense accumulation of lichen on tree bark is misinterpreted as a pathological condition affecting the tree's vascular system.

Signs and symptoms appear as small, dark, pimple-like fruiting bodies (perithecia) scattered over the thallus of the lichen. As the infection progresses, the lichen colony becomes discolored, shrivels, and loses its structural integrity, eventually falling off the bark surface.

Environmental conditions favoring development include high humidity and stable moisture on bark surfaces, common in unmanaged or older orchards. Prevention is generally not required for tree health, but mechanical cleaning of trunks or standard orchard management practices used to maintain bark cleanliness will naturally limit the presence of these fungi.