The fungus Corynespora cassiicola is primarily found in the tropics and subtropics, and is widely diverse in substrate utilization and host association. Isolate characterization within C. cassiicola was undertaken to investigate how genetic diversity correlates with host specificity, growth rate, and geographic distribution. C. cassiicola isolates were collected from 68 different plant species in American Samoa, Brazil, Malaysia, and Micronesia, and Florida, Mississippi, and Tennessee within the United States. Phylogenetic analyses using four loci were performed with 143 Corynespora spp. isolates, including outgroup taxa obtained from culture collections: C. citricola, C. melongenae, C. olivacea, C. proliferata, C. sesamum, and C. smithii. Phylogenetic trees were congruent from the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer region, two random hypervariable loci (caa5 and ga4), and the actin-encoding locus act1, indicating a lack of recombination within the species and asexual propagation. Fifty isolates were tested for pathogenicity on eight known C. cassiicola crop hosts: basil, bean, cowpea, cucumber, papaya, soybean, sweet potato, and tomato. Pathogenicity profiles ranged from one to four hosts, with cucumber appearing in 14 of the 16 profiles. Bootstrap analyses and Bayesian posterior probability values identified six statistically significant phylogenetic lineages. The six phylogenetic lineages correlated with host of origin, pathogenicity, and growth rate but not with geographic location. Common fungal genotypes were widely distributed geographically, indicating long-distance and global dispersal of clonal lineages. This research reveals an abundance of previously unrecognized genetic diversity within the species and provides evidence for host specialization on papaya.

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SUMMARYThe number of pepper seedlings (Capsicum annuum L.) surviving transplanting in a glasshouse decreased from 100% in the control to 84 ± 6,55 ± 8, and 18 ± 6% in field soil containing 1, 5 and 25 propagules of Phytophthora capsici Leonian per gram soil, respectively. When detached leaves were inoculated with a sporangial suspension at 15 and 31 °C, an incubation period of 24 h was required before an infection level of 50% was reached. Incubation at 27 °C for 4 h resulted in 60% of the leaves infected. Neither sporangia nor mycelia survived a week in leaf tissue if the relative humidity was 47% or less or if the temperature was -12 or 40 °C. Recovery of sporangia from inoculated stem pieces (2 cm long) stored for 1 week at 25 °C was reduced from 1455 to 30 sporangia per stem piece when the relative humidity was reduced from 100 to 87%. P. capsici could not be isolated from inoculated leaf tissue 2 days after being placed on the soil surface in a field, but was easily isolated after 14 days if buried. The distribution of disease within a test field followed the field's drainage pattern. Splashing rain and run-off water appear to be the main means of spread. Combined rainfall for days 3, 4, 5 and 6 prior to symptom development correlated with disease incidence (r = 0·53, P < 0·01).