First report of Phytophthora lateralis in Taiwan
Studies were conducted in Taiwanese forests to detect the presence of unknown Phytophthora species or invasive species such as P. ramorum (EPPO Alert List) or P. lateralis (EPPO A1 List). In 2008, soil samples were collected in an old cypress stand (Chamaecyparis obtusa var. formosana) in the Ma-Kau ecological park in North-Eastern Taiwan. Collected samples were subject to Phytophthora baiting procedures at 18°C. Several isolates of Phytophthora lateralis were identified in one soil sample which had been obtained from water running through a cedar stand. This is the first time that P. lateralis is recorded from Taiwan. It is hypothetized that Asia (in particular Japan, Taiwan and Yunnan) is the area of origin for P. lateralis. The authors concluded that further surveys of P. lateralis in Taiwanese Chamaecyparis stands are needed, as well as comparative studies between isolates from different continents (Asia, Europe and North America).
Sources
Brasier CM, Vettraino AM, Chang TT, Vannini A (2010) Phytophthora lateralis discovered in an old growth Chamaecyparis forest in Taiwan. Plant Pathology 59(4), 595-603.