The Never-Ending Presence of <i>Phytophthora </i>Species in Italian Nurseries

Plant trade coupled with climate change has led to the increased spread of well-known and new <i>Phytophthora</i> species, a group of fungus-like organisms placed in the Kingdom Chromista. Their presence in plant nurseries is of particular concern because they are responsible for many plant diseases, with high environmental, economic and social impacts. This paper offers a brief overview of the current status of <i>Phytophthora</i> species in European plant nurseries. Focus was placed on Italian sites. Despite the increasing awareness of the risk of <i>Phytophthora</i> spread and the management strategies applied for controlling it, the complexity of the <i>Phytophthora</i> community in the horticulture industry is increasing over time. Since the survey carried out by Jung et al. (2016), new <i>Phytophthora</i> taxa and <i>Phytophthora</i>-host associations were identified. <i>Phytophthora</i><i>hydropathica</i>, <i>P. crassamura</i>, <i>P. pseudocryptogea</i> and <i>P. meadii</i> were reported for the first time in European plant nurseries, while <i>P. pistaciae</i>, <i>P. mediterranea</i> and <i>P. heterospora</i> were isolated from Italian ornamental nurseries. Knowledge of Phytophthora diversity in plant nurseries and the potential damage caused by them will help to contribute to the development of early detection methods and sustainable management strategies to control <i>Phytophthora</i> spread in the future.