PREVALENCE AND PATHOGENICITY OF SPINACH ROOT PATHOGENS OF THE GENUS PYTHIUM IN SWEDEN

Several pathogenic Pythium spp. were isolated from spinach roots in a 4-year disease survey in commercial spinach fields in southern Sweden. Heterothallic and zoospore-producing isolates belonging to the filamentous, non-inflated zoosporangia (F) group of van der Plaats-Niterink were most abundant, followed by P. sylvaticum, P. ultimum var. ultimum and P. heterothallicum. The heterothallic hyphal swelling (HS) group and P. tracheiphilum were found in a few plants. Two types of pathogenicity tests were performed, to measure the effects of seedling infection and of root infection of older plants. These tests showed P. ultimum var. ultimum to be the most severe spinach pathogen inducing pre- and post-emergence damping off as well as root rot of older plants. Also P. heterothallicum and P. tracheiphilum damaged both seedlings and older plants. Pythium sylvaticum, Pythium 'group HS' and Pythium 'group F' were pathogenic only to seedlings. P. ultimum var. ultimum and Pythium group F were isolated in significantly higher frequencies from spinach grown in the autumn season than in the spring. No clear relationships were found between Pythium prevalence and disease severity index of surveyed held plants, between Pythium prevalence and plant developmental stage, or between prevalence of Pythium and other pathogens isolated. This is the first report of P. heterothallicum and P. sylvaticum being pathogenic on spinach.