Eighteen Phytophthora species and one species of Halophytophthora were identified in 113 forest streams in Alaska, western Oregon and southwestern Oregon that were sampled by baiting or filtration of stream water with isolation on selective media. Species were identified by morphology and DNA characterization with single strand conformational polymorphism, COX spacer sequence and ITS sequence. ITS Clade 6 species were most abundant overall, but only four species, P. gonapodyides (37% of all isolates), P. taxon Salixsoil, P. taxon Oaksoil and P. pseudosyringae, were found in all three regions. The species assemblages were similar in the two Oregon regions, but P. taxon Pgchlamydo was absent in Alaska and one new species present in Alaska was absent in Oregon streams. The number of Phytophthora propagules in Oregon streams varied by season and in SW Oregon, where sampling continued year round, P. taxon Salixsoil, P. nemorosa and P. siskiyouensis were recovered only in some seasons.

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Eight open-pollinated peach families [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] were selected from a germplasm collection that was screened for tolerance to Leucostoma persoonii (Nits.) Höhn. [imperfect state, .Leucocytospora leucostoma (Pers.) Höhn] following field inoculation. The eight peach families were either susceptible or tolerant to L. persoonii infection based on canker length measurements. Three open-pollinated seedlings per family were chosen for evaluation. Following artificial inoculation, measurements of hydraulic conductance per pressure gradient (Kh) were made on 2-year-old branch segments from the 24 seedlings, and safranin dye was used to mark the conductive xylem pathways. For the peach families tolerant to L. persoonii, the specific Kh of the canker branch segments was greater than that for the most susceptible peach families. The inoculated branch segments from the tolerant peach families maintained ≈15% to 30% of the water transport of control segments. Safranin dye movement indicated that the sapwood in inoculated branch segments of seedlings from the susceptible peach families was almost completely blocked. Isolation experiments indicated deeper penetration of the fungus into the xylem of seedlings of susceptible than tolerant families. Xylem dysfunction appears to be correlated with a reduction in Kh, and the seedlings in the tolerant peach families are better able to maintain water transport through the stem segment invaded by the fungus.

Open-pollinated progeny from 15 peach (Prunus persica) cultivars, two peach × P. kansuensis hybrids, and one peach almond (P. amygdalus) hybrid were evaluated for their cold hardiness and for tolerance to Cytospora canker following artificial inoculation with Leucostoma persoonii. Winter hardiness was negatively correlated with canker necrotic length (r = −0.26**) and positively correlated with canker rating (r = 0.26**), as indicated by qualitative ratings. The half-sib families differed for canker necrotic length following fall inoculation, indicating that individuals with increased tolerance to L. persoonii canker could be selected from the population. Progeny from the cultivar Yennoh exhibited the shortest canker necrotic length following fall inoculation, and all the inoculated branches were visually healthy. ‘Yennoh’, a plant introduction from Russia, may have a higher tolerance to Leucostoma than has previously been found in U.S. germplasm.