Taxonomy, mating type distribution and population biology of Calonectria species

Abstract

the promovendus investigated species diversity, mating strategies and population diversity of the plant pathogen Calonectria species. An extensive disease surveys and multigene phylogenetic analyses discovered six novel and seven known Calonectria species associated with Eucalyptus plantations in South China. Mating strategies study of Calonectria species revealed the mating type structure of both homothallic and heterothallic, and provided an improved understanding of the evolutionary history of sexual reproduction in Calonectria. The results of Calonectria pauciramosa population study showed that a single dominant genotype and mating type of the pathogen widely distributed in multiple countries and on different hosts, this related with the international trade of asymptomatic plant germplasm and contaminated soil. The results from this study provide a valuable aid towards understanding the biology and managing diseases caused by these pathogens.