THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPORANGIA OF PHYTOPHTHORA-INFESTANS

The dynamics of sporulation and zoosporogenesis of Phytophthora infestans in a naturally infected crop of potato cv. Maris Bard and on potted plants of the same cultivar infected artificially with the same fungus are described. Development of sporangiophores and sporangia was synchronous after induction. Migration of several nuclei hom the sporangiophore into the sporangium initial was followed by nuclear division, then by degeneration of a proportion of the nuclei. Sporangia then became deciduous, developed papillae and became able to release zoospores in rapid succession. When infected leaves were detached and transferred from the field to moist Petri dishes, sporulation was at first synchronous then sequential; sporangiophores were longer and lateral branches more numerous than in vivo. The number of nuclei in mature sporangia was seater in vitro than in vivo.