Phytophthora capsici and the closely related Phytophthora tropicalis infect different hosts that have documented overlapping geographical distributions. Phytophthora capsici attacks annual vegetable hosts whereas P. tropicalis has been recovered from woody perennial hosts. Our objective was to test whether interspecific hybridization is possible and to characterize the resulting progeny. Crosse...

Phytophthora infestans is a highly destructive plant pathogen. It was the cause of the infamous Irish potato famine in the nineteenth century and remains to this day a significant global problem with associated costs estimated at $3 billion annually. Key to the success of this pathogen is the dispersal of free-swimming cells called zoospores. A poorly understood aspect of zoospore behaviour is ...

Phytophthora ramorum is a recently described pathogen causing oak mortality (sudden oak death) in forests in coastal areas of California and southern Oregon and dieback and leaf blight in a range of tree, shrub, and herbaceous species in the United States and Europe. Due to the threat posed by this organism, stringent quarantine regulations are in place, which restrict the movement of a number ...