Global invasion history of the emerging plant pathogen Phytophthora multivora

Abstract

Background: global trade in living plants and plant material has significantly increased the geographic distribution of many plant pathogens. As a consequence, several pathogens have been first found and described in their introduced range where they may cause severe damage on naïve host species. Knowing the center of origin and the pathways of spread of a pathogen is of importance for several reasons, including identifying natural enemies and reducing further spread. Several Phytophthora species are well-known invasive pathogens of natural ecosystems, including Phytophthora multivora. Following the description of P. multivora from dying native vegetation in Australia in 2009, the species was subsequently found to be very common in South Africa where it does not cause any remarkable disease. There are now reports of P. multivora from many other countries worldwide, but not as a commonly encountered species in natural environments.

Results: a global collection of 335 isol...