August 20, 2025 | Crop Protection |
The study conducted by Hainan University, China, investigated the occurrence of root rot disease in durian (Durio zibethinus Murr.) cultivated in Hainan Province. Durian, a highly valued tropical fruit in Southeast Asia, was introduced to southern Hainan in 2019, and by 2024, plantations expanded to over 2,666 hectares in counties such as Sanya, Ledong, and Baoting, contributing more than 150 million yuan annually to the local economy.
In March 2024, symptoms of root rot were observed in these production areas, with disease incidence ranging between 20% and 30%, causing notable economic losses. From diseased root samples, 45 fungal strains were isolated, and three were identified as Phytopythium vexans based on morphological traits and multilocus phylogenetic analyses using ITS, TUB2, and EF-1α gene sequences. Pathogenicity was confirmed through inoculation of one-year-old durian seedlings with zoospore suspensions, fulfilling Koch’s postulates by re-isolating the pathogen from infected plants.
This work represents the first report of P. vexans as the causal agent of durian root rot in Hainan Province. The findings provide new insights into disease occurrence in Chinese durian cultivation and establish a basis for further studies on pathogen spread and the development of management strategies.
