A Novel Population of Phytophthora, Similar to P. infestans, Attacks Wild Solanum Species in Ecuador.

ABSTRACT Twenty-six isolates of a Phytophthora population from two wild solanaceous species, Solanum tetrapetalum (n 11) and S. brevifolium (n = 15), were characterized morphologically, with genetic and phenotypic markers, and for pathogenicity on potato and tomato. Based on morphology, ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region 2 (ITS2) sequence, and pathogenicity, all isolates closely resembled P. infestans and were tentatively placed in that species. Nonetheless, this population of Phytophthora is novel. Its primary host is neither potato nor tomato, and all isolates had three restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) bands (probe RG57) and a mitochondrial DNA haplotype that have not been reported for P. infestans. All the isolates were the A2 mating type when tested with a P. infestans A1 isolate. The A2 mating type has not been found among isolates of P. infestans from potato or tomato in Ecuador. Geographical substructing of the Ecuadorian A2 population was detected. The three isolates from the village of Nono, identical to the others in all other aspects, differed by three RFLP bands; those from Nono lacked bands 10 and 16, but possessed band 19. Most of the Ecuadorian A2 isolates were nonpathogenic on potato and tomato, but a few caused very small lesions with sparse sporulation on necrotic tissue. Cluster analysis of multilocus genotypes (RFLP, mating type, and two allozymes) dissociated this A2 population from genotypes representing clonally propagated populations of P. infestans worldwide. The current hypotheses for the historical global movements of P. infestans do not satisfactorily explain the origin or possible time of introduction into Ecuador of this A2 population. Assuming the population is P. infestans, its presence in Ecuador suggests either a hitherto unreported migration of the pathogen or an indigenous population that had not previously been detected.

Host Specificity of Phytophthora infestans on Tomato and Potato in Ecuador.

ABSTRACT Sixty Ecuadorian isolates of Phytophthora infestans from potato and 60 isolates from tomato were compared for dilocus allozyme genotype, mitochondrial DNA haplotype, mating type, and specific virulence on 11 potato R-gene differential plants and four tomato cultivars, two of which contained different Ph genes. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) fingerprints of subsamples of isolates from each host were compared by using RG57 as the probe. All potato isolates had the allozyme genotype, haplotype, and mating type of the clonal lineage EC-1, which had been previously described in Ecuador. With the same markers, only one isolate from tomato was classified as EC-1; all others belonged to the globally distributed US-1 clonal lineage. RFLP fingerprints of isolate subsets corroborated this clonal lineage classification. Specific virulence on potato differentials was broadest among potato isolates, while specific virulence on tomato cultivars was broadest among tomato isolates. Some tomato isolates infected all tomato differentials but no potato differentials, indicating that specific virulence for the two hosts is probably controlled by different avirulence genes in P. infestans. In two separate experiments, the diameters of lesions caused by nine isolates from potato and 10 from tomato were compared on three tomato and three potato cultivars. All isolates produced larger lesions on the host from which they were isolated. No isolates were found that were highly aggressive on both tomato and potato. We conclude that there are two different populations of P. infestans in Ecuador and that they are separated by host.

Comparison of Soil Receptivity to Thielaviopsis basicola, Aphanomyces euteiches, and Fusarium solani f. sp. pisi Causing Root Rot in Pea.

ABSTRACT Soil receptivity as a quantifiable characteristic ranging from conduciveness to suppressiveness to soilborne pea pathogens Thielaviopsis basicola and Aphanomyces euteiches was determined by analysis of differences in disease response curves obtained by artificial introduction of inoculum into natural field soil samples. Several parameters, including maximum root rot severity, the area under the health index curve, scores on the first axis of a principal component analysis (PCA) on dose responses, and Weibull model fitting were used to describe the disease responses. In all cases, the Weibull model gave satisfactory fits. PCA yielded a first axis that comprised 86% of the variance found when using Weibull predicted responses for T. basicola and 74% of the variance found for A. euteiches. This PCA axis essentially represented the average increase in disease severity due to the addition of increasing doses of inoculum to the soil. The Weibull scale parameter B, which represents the amount of inoculum necessary to increase root rot severity by 63% with respect to the level caused by pathogens naturally present in the soil, is another means of quantifying the receptivity of soils to these plant pathogens. Weibull parameter B, maximum root rot severity, the areaunder the health index curve, and the scores on the first PCA axis were strongly correlated for each of the pathogens tested individually. To compare the extent and behavior of soil receptivity responses to different pathogens, Weibull parameters B and C (slope at dose B) were chosen because of their universal definition, in contrast to PCA scores. Comparison of the average levels of Weibull parameters B and C indicated significant differences between the pathogens. Yet, no significant similarity in the ranking of the soils was found for the three pathogens, demonstrating that individual soils may interact with different pathogens in totally different ways. In general, soils were suppressive to T. basicola but conducive to A. euteiches, whereas their response to Fusarium solani f. sp. pisi ranged from conducive to suppressive. Therefore, risk assessment of soils prior to planting may require different strategies for each pathogen. Bioassays with soil samples taken before the last pea crop in 1987 and 1991 revealed a significant increase in the natural inoculum potential of soils that mainly was accounted for by A. euteiches and Pythium spp. These results strongly indicate that A. euteiches must be considered one of the most threatening pathogens to pea crops in the Netherlands.

First Report of Phytophthora infestans A2 Mating Type in Ecuador.

The tropical highlands of Ecuador are a genetic center for several Solanaceous species, including potato. In 1995 and 1996, severe late blight epidemics occurred in wild Solanum species, e.g., Solanum brevifolium, growing in the transitional area between the highlands and the coastal tropical lowlands near the city of Quito. Sixteen isolates of Phytophthora infestans were collected in 1995 and 36 isolates in 1996. Of these, three from 1995 and four from 1996 were A2 mating type. Extensive and systematic sampling of commercial potato and tomato in Ecuador have failed to reveal the presence of the A2 mating type (G. A. Forbes, X. M. Escobar, C. C. Ayala, J. Revelo, M. E. Ordoñez, B. A. Fry, K. Doucet, and W. E. Fry, Phytopathology, in press.). Apparently the A2 mating type reported for the first time in Ecuador is only associated with wild Solanaceous spp. Further research is required to determine the consequences of this event for management of late blight in both potato and tomato, two important field crops in the Andean highlands.

Photosynthesis and stomatal conductance of potato leaves-effects of leaf age, irradiance, and leaf water potential.

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L., cv. Bintje) were grown in a naturally lit glasshouse. Laboratory measurements on leaves at three insertion levels showed a decline with leaf age in photosynthetic capacity and in stomatal conductance at near saturating irradiance. Conductance declined somewhat more with age than photosynthesis, resulting in a smaller internal CO2 concentration in older relative to younger leaves. Leaves with different insertion number behaved similarly. The changes in photosynthesis rate and in nitrogen content with leaf age were closely correlated. When PAR exceeded circa 100 W m(-2) the rate of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance changed proportionally as indicated by a constant internal CO2 concentration. The photosynthesis-irradiance data were fitted to an asymptotic exponential model. The parameters of the model are AMAX, the rate of photosynthesis at infinite irradiance, and EFF, the slope at low light levels. AMAX declined strongly with leaf age, as did EFF, but to a smaller extent. During drought stress photosynthetic capacity declined directly with decreasing water potential (range -0.6 to -1.1 MPa). Initially, stomatal conductance declined faster than photosynthetic capacity.