Abstract
Most soilborne Phytophthora species are invasive plant pathogens, and nursery plants for transplanting are considered a primary pathway for the introduction of exotic Phytophthora species into plant diversity conservation sites. As a preliminary contribution to the study of Phytophthora populations in plant conservation sites, we compared the diversity of Phytophthora in the protected natural area Complesso Speleologico Villasmundo S. Alfio Nature Reserve (NR) (Siracusa) and the botanical garden (BG) of the University of Catania, eastern Sicily (Italy). Samplings were carried out in spring 2019. Overall, 29 rhizosphere soil samples were collected, 17 from different types of vegetation in NR and 12 from different plant species in BG. Phytophthora species were recovered from soil samples by leaf baiting and isolation on a selective medium. Isolates were identified by combining morphological features with phylogenetic inferences from ITS-rDNA sequence analysis. Overall, 82 Phytophthora isolates, 30 from NR and 52 from BG, were characterized. Five Phytophthora species, P. pseudocryptogea, P. cryptogea, P. bilorbang, P. plurivora and P. gonapodyides, were recovered from NR, while only three species, P. nicotianae, P. multivora and P. parvispora, were found in BG. Factors contributing to shape Phytophthora populations of rhizosphere soil in these two vegetational contexts are discussed.
Highlights
With more than 180 known species and several other informally described provisional taxa [1,2], plant pathogens of Phytophthora genus (Pythiaceae, Peronosporales, Oomycota, Chromista) represent one of the main threats for forests and other ecosystems [3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10]
Morphological and Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequence analyses made it possible to identify eight Phytophthora species (Table 2); in detail, P. bilorbang, P. cryptogea, P. gonapodyides, P. plurivora and P. pseudocryptogea were recovered in the nature reserve, while only three species, namely P. nicotianae, P. multivora and P. parvispora, were found in the botanical garden
Phytophthora pseudocryptogea and P. cryptogea were the only species isolated from willow trees (Salix pedicellata), P. bilorbang was recorded from Platanus orientalis and P. plurivora from a mature specimen of evergreen oak (Q. ilex)
Summary
With more than 180 known species and several other informally described provisional taxa [1,2], plant pathogens of Phytophthora genus (Pythiaceae, Peronosporales, Oomycota, Chromista) represent one of the main threats for forests and other ecosystems [3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10]. Several studies reported exotic Phytophthora species from non-native regions as invasive pathogens [17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26]. The introduction of these species in new environments may have destabilizing effects on ecosystems and may threaten the diversity of vegetation and the survival of rare plant species [27,28,29,30]. Dhyuteopthotthhoerapsoplyecpiheasghyasof bteheenseresppoerctieeds afrnodmthveairrioaubisliktyintdosaodfaepctotsoydstiefmferse[n1t4e,2n4v,2ir5o,3n4m–4e4n]t.s,Dthueeitrocothmempoulnyiptiheasginy tohfe thweisledsspheocwiesaagnrdeatthveiarraiabbiliiltiytyto[2a4d].apt to different environments, their communities in the wild sAhoswa apgrreeliamt vinaariraybisltietyp[2to4w]. ard understanding the ecological factors shaping the PhytAopshathporrealicmominmaruynsitteieps,towweacrodmupnadreerdsttahneddinivgetrhsietyecooflpogoipcuallaftaioctnosrsofshthaepsiengoothmeyPcehtye-s toinphttwhoordaicffoemremntutnyiptieesso, fwpelacnotmdpivaerresdittyhceodnisveerrvsaittiyonofspitoesp,ualnataitounrseorefstehrevseeaonodmaybcoettaensiicnal twgaorddeifnfeirneneatsttyeprnesSoicfiplyla(nsot udtihveerrnsitIytaclyo)nwsehrvicahticoannsaitlesos,baencaotnusriedreerseedrvaenaanrbdoarebtoutman. ical garden in eastern Sicily (southern Italy) which can be considered an arboretum
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