Phylogenetic analysis of the downy mildew pathogen of oilseed poppy in Tasmania, and its detection by PCR

Downy mildew of oilseed poppy (Papaver somniferum) has become a serious disease issue for the Tasmanian poppy industry since its first record in 1996. Previous reports have reported the pathogen as Peronospora arborescens, which is differentiated from the related species P. cristata, also known to infect Papaver spp., by conidium dimensions alone. This study investigated the taxonomic status of the downy mildew pathogen, using both morphological characters and molecular analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA). The inherent variability of conidium dimensions made differentiation of species difficult. Sequence homology and phylogenetic analyses of the ITS region showed the pathogen to be more closely related to P. cristata than P. arborescens. It is therefore proposed that downy mildew of oilseed poppy in Tasmania be reattributed to the pathogen P. cristata. In addition to this work, PCR primers have been developed for the specific detection of the downy mildew pathogen in Tasmania.