Early view Phytopathology article

Ms. Justine Beaulieu, Mr. Blain B Ford, and Dr. Yilmaz Balci. Phytopathology 0 0:ja
Genetic diversity of two Phytophthora species, P. cinnamomi (102 isolates) and P. plurivora (186), commonly encountered in Maryland nurseries and forests in the Mid-Atlantic United States was characterized using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). Expected heterozygosity and other indices suggested a lower level of diversity among P. cinnamomi than P. plurivora. Hierarchical clustering showed P. cinnamomi isolates separated into four clusters, and two of the largest clusters were closely related, containing 80% of the isolates. In contrast, P. plurivora isolates separated into six clusters, one of which included approximately 40% of the isolates. P. plurivora isolates recovered from the environment (e.g. soil, water) were genotypically more diverse than those found causing lesions. For both species, isolate origin (forest vs. nursery or among nurseries) was a significant factor of heterozygosity. Clonal groups existed within P. cinnamomi and P. plurivora and included isolates from both forest and nurseries, suggesting that a pathway from nurseries to forests or visa verse exists.