Abstract
ABSTRACT The South Africa forestry industry, covering ∼1.3 million hectares, is dependent on exotic pine and Eucalyptus species. Nursery seedlings are not inoculated with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi or other beneficial microbes. Fusarium circinatum is an economically important pathogen affecting seedling survival. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the effects of ectomycorrhizal fungal inoculation on Pinus patula seedling growth and resistance to the fungal pathogen F. circinatum. Explants from ECM basidiocarps, collected from Pinus stands, were plated onto MMN medium to obtain isolates that were then verified via DNA extraction and PCR amplification and sequencing of the ITS rDNA region. These isolates were identified as Boletus edulis f. reticulatus, Lactarius quieticolor, Suillus granulatus and an unknown Suillus species. P. patula growth in the presence of the pathogen F. circinatum was significantly increased and promoted by the L. quieticolor and Suillus isolates. Preventative inoculation of seedlings in the nursery using these isolates would ensure the production of stronger, healthier plants that would be more resistant to F. circinatum infection, increasing survival in the plantation.
Highlights
Since the first detection of Fusarium circinatum in South Africa on Pinus patula seedlings in 1990 major problem in production nurseries
The fruiting body samples collected were field identified as Boletus edulis, Suillus granulatus, Suillus salmonicolor and Lactarius deliciosus (Table 2), these isolates will be referred to as Boletus, Suillus, Salmon Suillus and Lactarius for the remainder of the study
The ECM fungus Lactarius significantly improved the growth of the P. patula seedlings inoculated with pitch canker, especially isolate 594
Summary
Since the first detection of Fusarium circinatum (teleomorph= Gibberella circinata) in South Africa on Pinus patula seedlings in 1990 major problem in production nurseries. It causes damping off, root and collar rot, and tip dieback, often resulting in large scale seedling mortality significant losses in yield and productivity this pathogen was characterised as the largest limitation to commercial forestry of the Pinus species is P. patula [4] but it is the most commonly planted species as more resistant species such as P. radiata and P. elliottii produce wood of a poorer quality [3; 5].
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