Abstract
Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is an important fruit-tree at southwestern Turkey, as this region (Antalya and Muğla provinces) produces and exports the great majority of the pomegranate fruits of the country. Pomegranate orchards showing severe dieback and tree mortality in the region were surveyed to determine the role of Phytophthora spp. in symptom development. Root (from 51 trees) and soil (from 136 trees) samples were collected from symptomatic trees in 113 commercial pomegranate orchards, covering 170 ha. A total of 98 isolates were obtained from the roots of 19 trees and soil samples of 79 trees, using selective medium and soil baiting. Species isolated were identified by morphological characteristics and ITS sequencing. The most frequently isolated species were P. nicotianae (37 isolates) and P. palmivora (26 isolates), followed by P. parvispora (14 isolates), P. inundata (six isolates), P. cryptogea (four isolates), P. niederhauserii (four isolates), P. taxon walnut (two isolates) and P. rosacearum (one isolate), and four unidentified species. Twelve orchards were infected with more than one species. Disease incidence and prevalence were 4.59% and 69.91%, respectively. Pathogenicity tests by soil infestation, revealed that the isolates caused root and collar rot, reducing root weights of pomegranate seedlings. Phytophthora palmivora and P. nicotianae were the most virulent species. This is the first report of any species other than P. palmivora causing root and collar rot of pomegranate trees worldwide.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability
All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article [and its supplementary information files].
References
Abad, Z. G., Abad, J. A., Cacciola, S. O., Pane, A., Faedda, R., Moralejo, E., Pérez-Sierra, A., Abad-Campos, P., Alvarez-Bernaola, L. A., Bakonyi, J., Józsa, A., Herrero, M. L., Burgess, T. I., Cunnington, J. H., Smith, I. W., Balci, Y., Blomquist, C., Henricot, B., Denton, G., Spies, C., Mcleod, A., Belbahri, L., Cooke, D., Kageyama, K., Uematsu, S., Kurbetli, İ., & Değirmenci, K. (2014). Phytophthora niederhauserii sp. nov., a polyphagous species associated with ornamentals, fruit trees and native plants in 13 countries. Mycologia, 106, 431–447.
Alavi, A., & Zackii, Z. (1985). Crown and root rot of pomegranate. Iranian Journal of Plant Pathology, 21, 22–70.
Basım, E., & Basım, H. (2013). Antalya İli Nar (Punica granatum L.) Bahçelerinde Görülen Kök ve Kök Boğazı Çürüklük Etmenlerinin Tespiti. Meyve Bilimi, 1, 23–26.
Bora, T., Karaca, İ. (1970). Kültür Bitkilerinde Hastalığın ve Zararın Ölçülmesi. Ege Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi Yardımcı Ders Kitabı, Yayın No. 167, 43s, İzmir, Turkey.
Brasier, C. M., Sanchez-Hernandez, E., & Kirk, S. A. (2003). Phytophthora inundata sp. nov., a part heterothallic pathogen of trees and shrubs in wet or flooded soils. Mycological Research, 107, 477–484.
Browne, G. T., Schmidt, L. S., & Brar, G. (2015). First report of Phytophthora niederhauserii causing crown rot of almond (Prunus dulcis) in California. Plant Disease, 99, 1863.
Bumbieris, M. (1976). The role of Phytophthora cryptogea and waterlogging in a decline of Pinus radiata. Australian Journal of Botany, 24, 703–709
Çeliker, N. M., Uysal, A., Çetinel, B., & Poyraz, D. (2012). Crown rot on pomegranate caused by Coniella granati in Turkey. Australasian Plant Disease Notes, 7, 161–162.
Das, A. K., Nerkar, S., Thakre, N., & Kumar, A. (2017). First report of an atypical strain of Phytophthora inundata causing Kinnow mandarin decline in India. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, 39, 365–372.
Erwin, D.C., Ribeiro, O.K. (2005). Phytophthora diseases worldwide, 2nd edn. St. Paul, MN, USA, APS Press.
Gallegly, M.E., Hong, C. (2008). Phytophthora, identifying species by morphology and DNA fingerprints. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN, USA.
Gonzalez, M., Perez-Sierra, A., & Sanchez, M. E. (2019). Phytophthora olea, a new root pathogen of wild olives. Plant Pathology, 68, 901–907.
Hansen, E., Wilcox, W. F., Reeser, P. W., & Sutton, W. (2009). Phytophthora rosacearum and P. sansomeana, new species segregated from the Phytophthora megasperma “complex”. Mycologia, 101, 129–135.
Ho, H. H., Hong, C. X., & Erwin, D. C. (2006). Phytophthora inundata isolated from diseased alfalfa roots in southern California. Mycotaxon, 97, 349–358.
Hunter, J. E., & Buddenhagen, I. W. (1969). Field biology and control of Phytophthora parasitica on papaya (Carica papaya) in Hawaii. Annals of Applied Biology, 63, 53–60.
Jeffers, S. N., & Martin, S. B. (1986). Comparison of two media selective for Phytophthora and Pythium species. Plant Disease, 70, 1038–1043.
Jung, T., Stukely, M. J. C., Hardy, G. E. S. J., White, D., Paap, T., Dunstan, W. A., & Burgess, T. I. (2011). Multiple new Phytophthora species from ITS clade 6 associated with natural ecosystems in Australia: Evolutionary and ecological implications. Persoonia, 26, 13–39.
Khosla, K., & Bhardwaj, S. S. (2013). Occurrence and incidence of important diseases of pomegranate in Himachal Pradesh. Plant Disease Research, 28, 5–10.
Khosla, K., & Gupta, A. K. (2014). Phytophthora fruit rot of pomegranate - a new report from Himachal Pradesh. Plant Disease Research, 29, 105–107.
Khosla, K., & Gupta, A. K. (2015). Prevalence of important diseases of pomegranate in Himachal Pradesh and their management. Plant Disease Research, 30, 11–18.
Kröber, H., & Marwitz, R. (1993). Phytophthora tentaculata sp. nov. and Phytophthora cinnamoml var. parvispora var. nov., two new fungi from ornamental plants in Germany. Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection, 100, 250–258.
Kumar, S., Stecher, G., & Tamura, K. (2016). MEGA7: Molecular evolutionary genetics analysis version 7.0 for bigger datasets. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 33, 1870–1874.
Kurbetli, İ., & Değirmenci, K. (2011). First report of Phytophthora taxon niederhauserii causing decline of almond in Turkey. New Disease Reports, 23, 14.
Kurbetli, İ., Sülü, G., Taştekin, E., & Polat, İ. (2016). First report of Phytophthora inundata causing olive tree decline in Turkey. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, 38, 254–257.
Markakis, E. A., Tzima, A. K., Palavouzis, S. C., Antoniou, P. P., Paplomatas, E. J., & Tjamos, E. C. (2017). First report of Phytophthora palmivora causing fruit rot on pomegranate in Greece. Plant Disease, 101, 1060.
More, W. D., Bangar, S. G., & Khetmalas, M. B. (1989). A new fruit rot disease of pomegranate in Maharashtra. Journal of Maharashtra Agricultural Universities, 14, 386.
Perez-Sierra, A., Leon, M., Alvarez, L. A., Alaniz, S., Berbegal, M., Garcia-Jimenez, J., & Abad-Campos, P. (2010). Outbreak of a new Phytophthora sp. associated with severe decline of almond trees in eastern Spain. Plant Disease, 94, 534–541.
Rodriguez-Padron, C., Siverio, F., Perez-Sierra, A., & Rodriguez, A. (2018). Isolation and pathogenicity of Phytophthora species and Phytopythium vexans recovered from avocado orchards in the Canary Islands, including Phytophthora niederhauserii as a new pathogen of avocado. Phytopathologia Mediterranea, 57, 89–106.
Ruano-Rosa, D., Schena, L., Agosteo, G. E., Magnano di San Lio, G., & Cacciola, S. O. (2018). Phytophthora oleae sp. nov. causing fruit rot of olive in southern Italy. Plant Pathology, 67, 1362–1373.
Safaiefarahani, B., Mostowfizadeh-Ghalamfarsa, R., & Cooke, D. E. L. (2013). Characterisation of Phytophthora inundata according to host range, morphological variation and multigene molecular phylogeny. Phytopathologia Mediterranea, 52, 46–65.
Saitou, N., & Nei, M. (1987). The neighbor-joining method: A new method for reconstructing phylogenetic trees. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 4, 406–425.
Sanchez-Hernandez, E., Munoz-Garcia, M., Brasier, C. M., & Trapero-Casas, A. (2001). Identity and pathogenicity of two Phytophthora taxa associated with a new root disease of olive trees. Plant Disease, 85, 411–416.
Scanu, B., Hunter, G. C., Linaldeddu, B. T., Franceschini, A., Maddau, L., Jung, T., & Denman, S. (2014). A taxonomic re-evaluation reveals that Phytophthora cinnamomi and Phytophthora cinnamomi var. parvispora are separate species. Forest Pathology, 44, 1–20.
Stamps, D.J., Waterhouse, G.M., Newhook, F.J., Hall, G.S. (1990). Revised tabular key to the species of Phytophthora. Mycological papers 162. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.
Tamura, K., Nei, M., Kumar, S. (2004). Prospects for inferring very large phylogenies by using the neighbor-joining method. Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 101, 11030–11035.
TÜİK 2019. Agricultural production statistics of Turkish statistical institute. Resource document www.tuik.gov.tr. Accessed 24 December 2019.
Türkölmez, Ş., Çiftçi, O., Serçe, Ç. U., & Derviş, S. (2016). First report of Phytophthora palmivora causing crown and root rot on pomegranate (Punica granatum) in Turkey. Plant Disease, 100, 227.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (Republic of Turkey Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) “TAGEM-BS-15/08-09/02-16”, and we appreciate the help of the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. We are also thankful to Dr. Emrah Yıldırım for preparation of the map.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
The authors declare that the code of ethics is complied with.
Conflict of interest
The authors declares that they have no conflict of interest.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kurbetli, İ., Karaca, G., Aydoğdu, M. et al. Phytophthora Species Causing Root and Collar Rot of Pomegranate in Turkey. Eur J Plant Pathol 157, 485–496 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-020-02007-8
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-020-02007-8