Morphological and molecular characterization of four Phytophthora species with the first report of Phytophthora lacustris from Pakistan

Abstract

Seven Phytophthora isolates were recovered from roots and rhizosphere soil of different plants of the Bajaur, a newly merged district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. These isolates were characterized morphologically as well as molecularly using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences and of them identified are Phytophthora lacustris, Phytophthora capsici, Phytophthora citrophthora and Phytophthora nicotianae. P. lacustris appeared to be a new record from Pakistan not hitherto reported. P. nicotianae and P. citrophthora are reported for the first time from the rhizosphere of Isodon rugosus and Cajanus cajan in Pakistan.

Keywords:

• –Phytophthora lacustris
• molecular characterization
• soil
• new record
• Pakistan

Acknowledgments

We are indebted to the members of the Pests and Disease Research Laboratory (PDRL), Department of Agriculture and Agribusiness Management, University of Karachi, the Centralized Science Laboratory, University of Karachi, and the Department of Plant Protection, Malir Halt, Karachi, for their support. Thanks also goes to Dr. Ishrat Jameel of KIBGE for her valuable help.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).