Leaf chlorosis, severe defoliation and wilt associated with root rot were observed on mature olive trees cv. Nera di Gonnos in an experimental orchard at Mirto Crosia (Calabria, southern Italy). An oomycete was consistently isolated from rotten roots of symptomatic olive trees. It was identified as Phytophthora bilorbang by morphological characters and sequencing of Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) regions of ribosomal DNA (rDNA). Pathogenicity was verified by inoculating potted two-month-old rooted cuttings of Olea europaea var. Nera di Gonnos in a soil infestation trial. P. bilorbang was re-isolated from roots of symptomatic, artificially inoculated olive cuttings to fulfill Koch's postulates. This is the first report of P. bilorbang on O. europaea L. and on a species of the Oleaceae family worldwide.
Keywords: ITS region; Phytophthora; defoliation; leaf chlorosis; molecular identification; morphological identification; olive; root rot; wilt.