First Report of Phytophthora Rot on Alders Caused by Phytophthora alni subsp. alni in Spain
Authors: Pintos Varela C. , Rial Martínez C. , Mansilla Vázquez J. P. , Aguín Casal O. 
Published: January 2010

Phytophthora alni, a soil- and waterborne pathogen, causes aggressive root and collar rot on riparian alder populations (1,2,4). The disease has been described from several European countries with a destructive impact in Great Britain (1,2). All European alder species and the red alder (Alnus rubra) are highly susceptible. P. alni has multiple variants that have been placed in three subspecies: P. alni subsp. alni, P. alni subsp. uniformis, and P. alni subsp. multiformis (1). In July 2009, a survey of symptoms of Phytophthora rot from A. glutinosa at 20 riparian stands along the Avia River in Galicia (northwest Spain) was conducted. Affected trees showed symptoms of Phytophthora rot including abnormally small, sparse, and yellowish foliage, dieback in the canopy, necroses of the inner bark and cambium, and bleeding cankers on the trunks (2,4). Phytophthora spp. were baited from saturated rhizosphere soil and watercourses using oak leaflets (4). Roots and tissue from fresh active inner bark lesions were transferred to selective medium V8-PARPH agar (4) and incubated for 7 days at 22°C in the dark. A Phytophthora sp. was isolated, transferred to carrot agar (CA), and incubated in the dark. Colonies were appressed, often irregular in outline, and with limited aerial mycelium (1). Growth on CA occurred from 4 to 31°C with optimum growth at 23 to 25°C. Chlamydospores were not observed. Ellipsoid, nonpapillate, noncaducous sporangia had a length/breadth average ratio of 1.4. Nesting and extended internal proliferation occurred. Oogonia, antheridia, and oospores were abundantly produced in a single culture. Oogonia with tapered stalks were spherical (mature oogonia 38 to 50 μm in diameter) and some had ornamented walls or bullate protuberances (1,2). Antheridia were large, amphigynous, and predominantly two-celled (23 to 37 × 16 to 23 μm). Oospores were plerotic. Distorted comma-shaped or smaller oogonia and aborted oospores were observed (1). Amplification of DNA was accomplished by using sequence-characterized amplification region-PCR primers (3). The amplicon sizes obtained were identical to P. alni subsp. alni (3). Internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-DNA and nadh1 mitochondrial gene were also amplified. DNA sequences of ITS and mt-DNA regions were deposited in GenBank (Nos. GU108602 and GU108603). Comparison of the sequences showed 100% homology with P. alni subsp. alni (GenBank Nos. FJ746679 and DQ202490). P. alni subsp. alni was recovered from trees at 3 of 20 riparian alder stands with symptoms. Pathogenicity of one representative isolate was confirmed by inoculating 10 3-year-old A. glutinosa seedlings grown in pots. One shallow cut was made into the bark at the collar level. A colonized agar plug, from the margin of an actively growing colony of P. alni subsp. alni, was inserted beneath the flap that was sealed with Parafilm. Five controls seedlings received only sterile CA agar plugs. Plants were incubated at 24°C and 95% humidity for 30 days. On inoculated plants, necroses progressed bidirectionally from the wound, and dead leaves and wilting of shoots were observed. P. alni subsp. alni was recovered from inoculated seedlings, but not from controls. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Phytophthora rot on alder caused by P. alni subsp. alni in Spain.

References: (1) C. M. Brasier et al. Mycol. Res. 108:1172, 2004. (2) J. Gibbs et al. For. Comm. Bull. 126, 2003 (3) R. Ioos et al. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 112:323, 2005. (4) T. Jung et al. Plant Pathol. 53:197, 2004.