Influence of temperature on germination of Quercus ilex in Phytophthora cinnamomi,P. gonapodyides,P. quercina and P. psychrophila infested soils

The influence of temperature on germination of Quercus ilex acorns in Phytophthora infested soils was quantified for the first time. Radicle damage and mortality of Q. ilex seeds germinating at 17, 20, 23 and 26°C in Phytophthora cinnamomi, P. gonapodyides, P. quercina and P. psychrophila infested soils were assessed and related to in vitro mycelium growth of the same isolates of the pathogens. The optimum growth temperatures of isolates of P. cinnamomi, P. gonapodyides, P. quercina and P. psychrophila were 20–23, 23–26, 20–23 and 20°C, respectively. At 17 and 20°C, all four Phytophthora species caused 100% acorn mortality, whereas at 26°C, acorn mortality was 100, 10, 25 and 0% in P. cinnamomi, P. gonapodyides, P. quercina and P. psychrophila infested soils, respectively. At 23°C, P. cinnamomi and P. gonapodyides reduced acorn radicle length more than P. quercina and P. psychrophila, whereas at 26°C, only P. cinnamomi caused further reduction in radicle length. The higher susceptibility of germinating acorns in comparison to seedlings reported in the literature indicates age‐related susceptibility of Q. ilex to Phytophthora. The seedling/pathogen growth ratio was inversely related to the reduction in radicle length at different temperatures ( = 0.84, p < 0.0001), suggesting that rapid germination may allow seedlings to escape from infection. Increasing temperatures had different effects on damage to acorns depending on the pathogen present in the soil, indicating that Phytophthora species × temperature interactions determined Q. ilex germination. The effects of temperature on the impacts of Phytophthora species based on climate change predictions for Mediterranean countries are discussed.