The Dynamics of Populations of Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) De Bary, In the Central Eastern Europe, Part 1: Up To 2010

Abstract

The Oomycete Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, 1876 is the most devastating pathogen on potato crop. It was an agent responsible for the Irish Famine in the 1840s. It is a heterothallic hemibiotrophic oomycete. The sexual reproduction offers the pathogen more flexibility and adaptability to the environmental conditions. Before 1980s, the populations of P. infestans in Europe were represented by only one clonal lineage, US-1. Later, dramatic changes have been detected in populations of this pathogen, including the introduction of the A2 mating type, and making the sexual reproduction possible. The old genotype US-1 was gradually replaced by the new ones. In this paper, we provide a description of the situation in the Central and Eastern Europe and the changes that happened after the introduction of the A2 mating type, before 2010. A detailed description for the situation in Poland, Hungary, Estonia and Romania is offered.