Phytophthora Foot Rot of Deltoid Synurus Caused by Phytophthora cryptogea

Foot rot symptoms were repeatedly observed on plants of deltoid synurus (Synurus deltoides) growing in a field of the Wild Vegetable Research Institute located in Pyeongchang, Korea during disease surveys in July 2020 and June 2021. The symptoms appeared as wilting of the plant leaves, and the plant stems and petioles at or above the soil line turned dark and rotted. The incidence of diseased plants in the field was 5‒10%. Five isolates of Phytophthora sp. were obtained from lesions of the diseased plants and investigated for their morphological and molecular characteristics. All the isolates were identified as Phytophthora cryptogea based on the morphological and molecular characteristics. Three isolates of P. cryptogea were tested for pathogenicity on deltoid synurus plants using artificial inoculation. All the tested isolates caused foot rot symptoms on the inoculated plants. The symptoms were similar to those observed in plants from the field investigated. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. cryptogea causing Phytophthora foot rot in deltoid synurus.