Incidence of Gremmeniella abietina in planted seedlings of Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris in northern Finland

• Published in: Forest Pathology
• Main Authors: Kaitera, J., Mäkitalo, K., Hantula, J.
• Other Authors: Holdenrieder, O.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2014
• Subjects: Ivalo; Oksa; Northern Finland
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/efp.12118; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fefp.12118; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/efp.12118

Summary The ascomycete G remmeniella abietina causes a disease (scleroderris canker) on conifers. The pathogen kills terminal shoots and branches of P inus sylvestris and P icea abies , sporulates on host shoots and causes leader changes (i.e. dieback). Damage caused by G . abietina was investigated in young P . abies and P . sylvestris plantations in northern F inland. Side branches from seedlings of both species and the main stems of P . sylvestris were collected from three sites in two locations ( P oksa 1 and 2, K ivalo) in northern F inland. The number of cankers and leader changes was counted in branches of each age (i.e. year) in a total of ca. 6300 shoots of P . abies and 1200 shoots of P . sylvestris . Cankers were common on both P . abies and P . sylvestris in P oksa 1 (2002–2008) and on P . abies in P oksa 2 (1998–2001). In K ivalo, cankers occurred only sporadically on P . sylvestris . Leader changes were most frequent in 1999–2009 in P oksa 1, in 2001–2009 in P oksa 2 and in 2003 in K ivalo. C ankers and other symptoms of infection were more obscure on P . abies than on P . sylvestris . According to both conidial morphology and molecular analysis, the strain of G . abietina infecting both P . abies and P . sylvestris was small‐tree type ( STT ). This is the first report of G . abietina, STT or B type, injuring P . abies in plantations.