Characterization of isolates of Phytophthora infestans collected in northwestern France from 1988 to 1992

Isolates of the potato late-blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans , collected in several French regions from 1988 to 1992, were characterized in order to determine the structure and pathogenicity of French populations and to compare them with other European samples. All 254 French isolates tested were of the Al mating type, as were two Sicilian, five Portuguese and one Spanish isolate. Metalaxyl sensitivity of 157 isolates was investigated. The frequency of resistance to this chemical decreased in western France from 1989 to 1992. Two glucose phosphate isomerase phenotypes (90/100 and 90/90) were detected among the 46 isolates tested; the former largerly predominated (75–80%) in the samples investigated. Both phenotypes corresponded to the population recently introduced into Europe. A third genotype (86/100), typical of the former European population, was found in one isolate from Picardy, originating from an artificially infected field trial. Five isolates from Portugal and Italy were of the 100/100 phenotype. Race patterns among 26 isolates from western France were very similar, and could not be explained by local selection. The unusual composition of the Brittany population, consisting of 'new' genotypes but all belonging to the Al mating type, is possibly related to the metapopulation type of structure of P. infestans in Europe.