Acacia mangium plantations account for more than 50 % of the exotic plantations in Vietnam. A new black butt symptom was discovered in 2012, followed by the wilting sign in Acacia seedlings in Tuyen Quang Province. Isolations recovered two Phytophthora species, the well-known Acacia pathogen P. cinnamomi, and an unknown species. The new species is described here as Phytophthora acaciivora sp. nov. Phylogenetically this species resides in clade 2d and is most closely related to P. frigida. Phytophthora acaciivora is a heterothallic species, oospores are aplerotic and antheridia are amphigynous. It produces predominantly elongated ovoid, semi papillate, persistent sporangia, no hyphal swellings and no chlamydospores. Optimum temperature for the growth is 25-30 °C and the maximum temperature is over 37.5 °C. Studies are underway to determine the impact of this new species on Acacia plantations in Vietnam.
Keywords: Phytophthora acaciae; Phytophthora frigida; forest health; new taxon; nursery diseases; plantation forestry.
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