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First Report of Phytophthora megasperma and Pythium irregulare As Olive Tree Root Pathogens

Several species of the genus Phytophthora are associated with root rot and trunk cankers in olive trees (Olea europaea L.). Among them, Phytophthora megasperma has been cited as being associated with olive root rots in Greece (1). Unidentified species of Pythium and Phytophthora have also been associated with olive tree root rots in the United States. However, the status of P. megasperma and Pythium spp. as olive tree root pathogens has remained unclear. Following a 5-year period of severe drought in southern Spain, autumn-winter rainfall rates in 1996 to 1997 steadily increased in both quantity and frequency. Under these unusually wet conditions, olive trees remained waterlogged for several months. During this period, we observed foliar wilting, dieback, and death of young trees, and later found extensive root necrosis. In 46 of 49 affected plantations surveyed, P. megasperma was consistently isolated from the rotted rootlets, particularly in young (<1- to 10-year-old trees) plantations. This fungus was not detected on plant material affected by damping-off from several Spanish olive tree nurseries. The opposite situation occurred with P. irregulare. This species was not associated with rotted rootlets in the field. In contrast, it was consistently isolated from necrotic rootlets from young olive plants affected by damping-off. These plants were grown in a sand-lime-peat soil mixture under greenhouse conditions and showed foliar wilting and extensive necrosis of the root systems. Pathogenicity tests were conducted with several isolates of P. megasperma and P. irregulare on 6-month-old rooted cuttings of olive, under both weekly watering and waterlogged conditions. Under waterlogged conditions, both fungal species produced extensive root necrosis 2 weeks after inoculation that resulted in wilting of the aerial parts and rapid plant death. Waterlogged control plants remained without foliar symptoms but a low degree of root necrosis was recorded. In addition, under weekly watering conditions, plants inoculated with either species showed some degree of root rot but foliar symptoms were not evident. No differences in pathogenicity were observed within the Phytophthora or Pythium isolates.

Reference: (1) H. Kouyeas and A. Chitzanidis. Ann. Inst. Phytopathol. Benaki 8:175, 1968.