First Report of Phytophthora Leaf Blight and Vine Rot of Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) in Korea

A disease causing leaf blight and vine rot was recognized on kudzu plants (Pueraria lobata) in Korea since 1991. A species of Phytophthora has been repeatedly isolated from the infected leaves. Identification in species level of the Phytophthora sp. remained unsolved. An isolate, KACC 47616 originally collected from Manchon Park in Daegu, has been kept in our laboratory. In 2013, three new isolates, KACC 47617 and KACC 47618 from Yeongyang and KACC 47619 from Gunwi in Gyeongbuk province, were collected and examined to classify up to species level by characterizing morphology, response to temperature and phylogenetic relationship. On the basis of morphological characters such as the nature of hyphal swelling, sporangia and sex organs, absence of chlamydospore production, optimum temperature for mycelial growth, and internal transcribed spacer rDNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 sequence analysis of the pathogen, the causal fungus of kudzu plant was identified as Phytophthora asiatica.