Description
Pythium arrhenomanes is the causal agent of root rot on many Poaceae crops. P. arrhenomanes is an important seedling rice pathogen. It is isolated frequently from corn (Zea mays) roots in corn-soybean (Glycine max) rotation plots and in irrigated plots of continuous corn.
It belongs to the group oomycetes which was originally classified among the fungi, due to its morphological and functional similarities. They are now classifed as protists based on modern insights on phylogentic relationship with photosynthetic organisms such as brown algae and diatoms.