First Report of Phaeophleospora Destructans in China

Eucalypts are highly favoured plantation species as they are fast growing and easy to cultivate. The timber is an important source of fibre to the international pulp and paper industry. Plantation forestry in China is rapidly expanding, and now exceeds more than 1.3 million ha, mostly Eucalyptus urophylla, E. grandis and their hybrids (Minsheng 2003, Qi 2003). A number of foliar plant pathogens have been reported to impact on yields in plantations of eucalypt species in tropical Asia including Mycosphaerella spp., Phaeophleospora spp., Cryptosporiopsis spp. and Cylindrocladium spp. (Old et al. 2003b, Barber 2004). In this study we report, for the first time, the presence of Phaeophleospora destructans in China. Six Phaeophleospora species are known to cause disease on eucalypts; P. delegatensis, P. lilianiae, P. epicoccoides, P. eucalypti and P. destructans and the newly described P. toledana (Crous 1998, Crous et al. 2004). Of these, P. delegatensis, P. lilianiae and P. toledana are limited in their distribution, while P. epicoccoides, P. eucalypti and P. destructans are considered major eucalypt pathogens (Wingfield et al. 1996, Park et al. 2000, Hood et al. 2002). Phaeophleospora epicoccoides, P. eucalypti and P. destructans all cause leaf blights and discoloration of the lower crowns that leads to premature defoliation, reduced growth and vigour, and in some instances, tree death within plantations. Phaeophleospora epicoccoides is found wherever eucalypts grow, whilst the distribution of P. eucalypti is restricted to Australia and New Zealand (Park et al. 2000). Phaeophleospora destructans, the most aggressive species, was first described from 1to 3-year-old E. grandis in Sumatra, Indonesia (Wingfield et al. 1996). Since then it has been found in Thailand, central and northern Vietnam and East Timor (Old et al. 2003a, Old et al. 2003b). Besides E. grandis, P. destructans has been isolated from other eucalypts including clones of E. camaldulensis and E. urophylla (native in East Timor). Phaeophleospora destructans has not been found in NOTES