Abstract
THIS report describes the use of serological techniques to distinguish two morphologically similar pathogenic fungi in soil. Pythium aphanidermatum (Edson) Fitzp. causes damping-off in many plants, including the tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plants1. Recently Dukes et al. reported that this fungus also causes dark brown to black stem cankers on tomato seedlings grown in fields in South Georgia2. Phytophthora parasitica (Dast.) var. nicotianae (B. de Haan) Tucker [ = Phytophthora nicotianae var. nicotianae3] causes black shank of tobacco in this same area of South Georgia4, and has been reported to cause damping-off of tobacco seedlings, as well as a disease of eggplant, tomato and other plants5. It is difficult to differentiate quickly between these two indigenous soil-borne fungi in the vegetative state, whether in culture or in host tissues. To identify these pathogens in host tissue when reproductive structures are lacking, it is necessary to isolate and grow them in culture on media suitable for production of asexual bodies. Some isolates of both species may produce reproductive structures very slowly or not at all6,7. Proper identification of these species thus may require considerable time and effort, especially by workers not familiar with this group of fungi.
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MORTON, D., DUKES, P. Serological Differentiation of Pythium aphanidermatum from Phytophthora parasitica var. nicotianae and Ph. parasitica. Nature 213, 923 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1038/213923a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/213923a0
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