Chile is the largest producer and exporter of blueberries in the southern hemisphere. During the 2006-2007 growing season, blueberry production increased in Chile as a result of an expansión of the planted área, reaching around 10,762 ha in 2007. Fungal diseases are of great importance in blueberry production; among them, Phytophthora root rot is a disease known worldwide as a major cause of death for highbush blueberry plants in the USA. Symptoms of Phytophthora root rot have been detected over the last four years in Chile. Nevertheless, the causal agents have not been previously described in Chile. This study aims to determine the pathogenicity of Phytophthora spp. isolated from highbush blueberry and to study cultivar susceptibility. The pathogenicity... |