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Aphanomyces euteiches is a genus of funguslike organisms belonging to the class Oomycetes within the kingdom Chromista. These organisms are known parasites that cause various plant diseases, most notably root rot.1

Aphanomyces euteiches specifically causes root rot in English peas. Another species, A. cochlioides, is responsible for root rot in sugar beets. These organisms reproduce asexually by forming two successive motile spores, called zoospores. The first zoospore develops in a spore sac and then forms a cyst from which the second zoospore emerges. This second zoospore is what infects a susceptible host plant. After sexual reproduction, a thick-walled structure called an oospore is formed.1

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