Survival and vitality of Gremmeniella abietina on Pinus sylvestris slash in northern Sweden

• Published in: Forest Pathology
• Main Authors: Witzell, J., Bernhold, A., Hansson, P.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2006
• Subjects: Northern Sweden
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0329.2006.00475.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1439-0329.2006.00475.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1439-0329.2006.00475.x

Summary Survival and vitality of Gremmeniella abietina on Pinus sylvestris slash was studied in northern Sweden during 2003 and 2004. Once a month between September 2003 and April 2004, two to three trees were cut down and debranched. Shoots with pycnidia were sampled at the felling date and then at every consecutive month. The percentage of germinated conidia from each shoot was calculated after 24, 48 and 72 h incubation. The vitality of G. abietina pycnidia in the slash remained high the whole period. Intact pycnidia were found on slash several months after the time of conidial sporulation, which indicates that new pycnidia may be produced on dead pine branches. Sampling of shoots from slash on 13‐ to 18‐month‐old clear‐cuts showed conidial germination capacity as high as in pycnidia collected in fresh slash. Due to survival of G. abietina in slash it is recommended to postpone planting of P. sylvestris seedlings in northern boreal areas to the third vegetation period after sanitary clear‐cuts.