Abstract
Summary •T o better understand evolution we have studied aggressiveness of the anthracnose pathogen, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides , collected from Stylosanthes scabra pastures between 1978 and 2000 and by inoculating two isolates onto two cultivars over 25 sequential infection cycles at ambient (350 ppm) and twice-ambient atmospheric CO 2 in controlled environments. • Regression analysis of the field population showed that aggressiveness increased towards a resistant cultivar, but not towards a susceptible cultivar, that is no longer grown commercially. • Here we report for the first time that aggressiveness increased on both cultivars after a few initial infection cycles at twice-ambient CO 2 as isolates adapted to combat enhanced host resistance, while at ambient CO 2 this increased steadily for most cycles as both cultivars selected for increased aggressiveness. Genetic fingerprint and karyotype of isolates changed for some CO 2 -cultivar combinations, but these were not related to changed aggressiveness. • At 700 ppm fecundity increased for both isolates, and this increased population size, in combination with a conducive microclimate for anthracnose from an enlarged plant canopy under elevated CO 2 , could accelerate pathogen evolution.
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