Poster Session: Biology of Pathogens - Oomycetes

70-P

The implications of eggplant as a host in late blight epidemiology in Egypt. .
S. M. El-Ganainy (1), Y. M. Ahmed (1), M. S. Soliman (1), D. E. L. Cooke (2), A. M. M. TOHAMY (1)
(1) Plant Pathology Research Institute, Giza, Egypt; (2) The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, United Kingdom

Late blight disease caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans is the most devastating disease threats potato and tomato crops worldwide. In Febrauary 2014 weather conditions were favorable to the development of late blight epidemic. Unexpectedly, late blight symptoms were noticed in scattered foci in an eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) field in northern Egypt. A typical "V"-shaped lesions were cultured on Phytophthora-selective medium. Pure cultures were obtained by single-hypha transfers and the isolates were identified as P. infestans according to their morphological and microscopic features. Pathogenicity test proved that eggplant isolate was virulent on potato (Lady Rosetta cv.) and tomato (Super Strain B cv.). Mating type testing showed that eggplant isolate belonged to mating type A1. This is considered the first report of P. infestans on eggplant in Egypt. Currently, variation in aggressiveness' components between 3 isolates of potato, tomato and eggplant is compared. In addition, further work will be done to study: 1. Whether eggplant is a sorce of inoculum to potato and tomato crops or vice versa? 2. Is only one lineage able to infect eggplant or is it both 13_A2 and 23_A1?.