Plant Pathology (2018) 67, 1362-1373

D. Ruano-Rosa, L. Schena, G.E. Agosteo, G. Magnano di San Lio and S.O. Cacciola (2018)
Phytophthora oleae sp. nov. causing fruit rot of olive in southern Italy
Plant Pathology 67 (6), 1362-1373
Abstract: A homothallic Phytophthora species was found to be consistently associated with a rot of mature fruits of two local cultivars of olive (Olea europaea) in Calabria, southern Italy. The phylogenetic analysis of sequences of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region and cox1 gene enabled its identification as a new species of clade 2, with a basal position compared to previously described subclades. The new species is described formally with the epithet Phytophthora oleae, referring to the natural matrix from which it was isolated. A unique combination of molecular and morphological characters clearly separates P. oleae from other already described Phytophthora species. This new species produced semipapillate, occasionally bipapillate, persistent sporangia on simple sympodially branching sporangiophores as well as globose and smooth-walled oogonia, paragynous antheridia and spherical, plerotic oospores. The pathogenicity of P. oleae was confirmed in inoculation trials on fruits of three olive cultivars, including the two local cultivars from which the pathogen had been isolated.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Santa O. Cacciola, Leonardo Schena, Gaetano Magnano di San Lio

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
identification/taxonomy
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Phytophthora oleae	Olive (Olea europaea)	Italy