First Report of Phytophthora palmivora Causing Crown and Root Rot of Pistachio Trees in Turkey

HomePlant DiseaseVol. 99, No. 12First Report of Phytophthora palmivora Causing Crown and Root Rot of Pistachio Trees in Turkey PreviousNext DISEASE NOTES OPENOpen Access licenseFirst Report of Phytophthora palmivora Causing Crown and Root Rot of Pistachio Trees in TurkeyŞ. Türkölmez, O. Çiftçi, S. Derviş, and Ç. U. SerçeŞ. Türkölmez, O. Çiftçi, S. Derviş, and Ç. U. SerçeAffiliationsAuthors and Affiliations Ş. Türkölmez O. Çiftçi , Diyarbakır Plant Protection Research Station, 21110, Yenişehir, Diyarbakır, Turkey S. Derviş , Department of Plant Protection, Agriculture Faculty, Mustafa Kemal University, 31034, Antakya, Hatay, Turkey Ç. U. Serçe , Department of Plant Production and Technologies, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies, Niğde University, 51240, Niğde, Turkey. Published Online:5 Nov 2015https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-15-0395-PDNAboutSections ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailWechat Turkey is an important pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) producing country with the production mainly centered in the Southeast Anatolia Region where the arid climate has been optimal for growth of this crop. In June 2012, some wilting and quick decline symptoms were observed on 8- to 12-year-old pistachio plants in Gökçebağ of Siirt Province. Affected plants had brown or black lesions extending to 10 cm above the root collar. Their capillary roots were easily peeled and the corresponding wooden tissues were brown or decayed, releasing a characteristic smell. Tissues from crown and root of two diseased plants were used to culture on Phytophthora spp. selective medium V8 agar (PARPNH) (Jung et al. 1996). The plates were incubated at 25°C in the dark. Agar discs with mycelium sampled from the margin of the actively growing colonies were submerged in sterilized deionized water for 5 days at 25°C. On submerged discs, all isolates produced hyaline, papillate, caducous sporangia of variable shape, mostly elliptical to ovoid (predominantly ellipsoid with a broad base), 37.0 to 60.5 µm in length, 27.5 to 39.0 μm wide, with a length/breadth ratio of 1.4 to 1.7, formed on sympodial sporangiophores and globose chlamydospores (approximately 34.0 μm in diameter). After sporangia fell off the sporangiophores, they bore short and broad pedicels (4 μm); all these characteristics were similar to those described for Phytophthora palmivora (E.J. Butler) E. J. Butler (Stamps 1985). The identification of isolates was confirmed by BLAST analysis using nucleotide sequence of ITS region of rDNA amplified with primers ITS6/ITS4 (Cooke et al. 2000). Nucleotide sequences showed 99 to 100% identity to P. palmivora isolates deposited in GenBank and Phytophthora Database. The nucleotide sequences were submitted to GenBank as Accession No. KP985657. To test pathogenicity of the isolates 1-year-old potted plants of pistachio cv. 'Siirt' were used by placing seven 5-mm-diameter mycelial plugs of P. palmivora cultured on V8 medium around the slightly injured primary roots of the plants, after removing 10 to 15 cm of soil around the root base. Root parts were covered with soil and soil was kept saturated by watering plants daily. After 2 to 3 months, wilting and decline of trees was observed and P. palmivora was constantly reisolated from the root lesions of inoculated plants. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. palmivora infection of pistachio, which represents a new host for this pathogen. Pistachio trees have a very long life span and the crown and root rot disease caused by P. palmivora might decrease the economic life of old trees and induce decline in young ones.References:Cooke, D. E. L., et al. 2000. Fungal Genet. Biol. 30:17. https://doi.org/10.1006/fgbi.2000.1202 Crossref, ISI, Google ScholarJung, T., et al. 1996. Eur. J. Forest Pathol. 26:253. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0329.1996.tb00846.x Crossref, ISI, Google ScholarStamps, D. J. 1985. Descriptions of Pathogenic Fungi and Bacteria, No. 831. CMI, Kew, Surrey, UK. Google ScholarDetailsFiguresLiterature CitedRelated Vol. 99, No. 12 December 2015SubscribeISSN:0191-2917e-ISSN:1943-7692 Metrics Article History Issue Date: 16 Dec 2015Published: 5 Nov 2015First Look: 3 Aug 2015Accepted: 25 Jun 2015 Page: 1866 Information© 2015 The American Phytopathological SocietyCited byPhytophthora palmivora (coconut budrot)CABI Compendium, Vol. CABI CompendiumIdentification and Characterization of Phytophthora Species Associated with Crown and Root Rot of Pistachio Trees in CaliforniaFlorent P. Trouillas, Mohamed T. Nouri, and Tyler B. Bourret21 January 2022 | Plant Disease, Vol. 106, No. 1Activity of metalaxyl-M+mancozeb, fosetyl-Al, and phosphorous acid against Phytophthora crown and root rot of apricot and cherry caused by Phytophthora palmivoraPlant Protection Science, Vol. 53, No. 4