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Title: NATURAL OCCURRENCE OF PHYTOPHTHORA INFESTANS ON WOODY NIGHTSHADE (SOLANUM DULCAMARA) IN IRELAND

Author
item COOKE, LOUISE - AGR. RURAL DEV. - N.I.
item CARLISLE, D. - QUEENS UNIV., BELFAST,NI
item WILSON, D. - AGR. RURAL DEV. - N.I.
item Deahl, Kenneth

Submitted to: British Journal of Horticultural Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/27/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The fungus that attacks both potatoes and tomatoes and caused the Irish Potato Famine in 1845 was isolated for the first time in Ireland on a common hedgerow plant. Genetic and molecular characterization of the strain in the USA showed that it is a member of the 'new' population of fungus that is causing a resurgence of diseases caused by the pathogen globally. These findings will benefit those scientists studying the disease cycle of this organism and potato growers attempting to develop more effective control strategies for late blight disease management.

Technical Abstract: Isolates of the potato late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans collected in Ireland for the first time on a common hedgerow plant, Solanum dulcamara, were characterized in order to determine their pathogenicity and population structure. Koch's postulates were satisfied for both the newly identified host, S. dulcamara, and the known host, S. tuberosum. The isolates were A1 mating types, sensitive to metalaxyl mitochrondiral haplotype Ia or Iia, monomorphic and homozygous for glucose-6-phosphate and peptidase (Gpi 100/100, Pep 100/100). RFLP fingerprinting (RG-57) confirmed the close similarity of the S. dulcomara and S. tuberosum isolates.