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Incidence of the potato late blight pathogen, Phytophthora infestans, in Syria and its mating type

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Abstract

Late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, is a devastating disease found worldwide. During 2011, 2013 and 2014 cropping seasons, prevalence of potato late blight in all survived areas throughout the interior of Syria was examined and the disease incidence varied and ranged from 0 to 85.71%. Potato leave samples showing late blight symptoms were collected from five different regions known to grow potato intensively. Based on their morphological characteristics, 22 isolates were distinguished as P. infestans. Using two fungal specific primers, ITS3 and PINF2 in a PCR assay, all isolates were confirmed as P. infestans, while they produce ~ 450 bp band. Similarly, all confirmed P. infestans isolates were able to produce a 170-bp band when INF-1 and INF-2 primers were deployed indicating that studied isolates had merely mating type A1 and no isolate with mating type A2 was found which might explain the absence of oospores in considered areas.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Director General of the Atomic Energy Commission of Syria and the head of the Molecular Biology and Biotechnology department for their continuous support throughout this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plant Protection Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Damascus University, 30621, Damascus, Syria

    Walid Naffaa

  2. General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR), Damascus, Syria

    Soulima Ibrahim

  3. Al Rasheed International Private University for Science and Technology, Daraa, Syria

    Taissir Abou Alfadil

  4. Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Atomic Energy Commission of Syria, PO Box 6091, Damascus, Syria

    Antonious Al-Daoude

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  1. Walid Naffaa
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  2. Soulima Ibrahim
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  3. Taissir Abou Alfadil
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  4. Antonious Al-Daoude
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Correspondence to Walid Naffaa.

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Walid Naffaa, on behalf of the co-authors, we have no conflict of interest.

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Naffaa, W., Ibrahim, S., Abou Alfadil, T. et al. Incidence of the potato late blight pathogen, Phytophthora infestans, in Syria and its mating type. J Plant Dis Prot 124, 533–537 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41348-017-0130-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41348-017-0130-8

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