Abstract
Cryphonectria parasitica (Murrill) M.E. Barr (Sordariomycetes, Valsaceae) is the causal agent of chestnut blight. This disease is a major concern for chestnut cultivation in Europe. The fungus colonizes vascular tissues and evolves generating cankers causing severe dieback and the death of the tree. Excised and debarked well-lignified shoots of 28 C. sativa genotypes (assay A) and of 10 progenies (assay B) were inoculated with C. parasitica strain FMT3bc2 (vcg: EU2). Fungal growth was measured along the longitudinal axis on the 3rd and 6th days after inoculation. Results indicated the inoculation methodology works and the results were clear after 6 days. Differences in susceptibility to chestnut blight among C. sativa trees of Montseny have been detected both at the individual genotype level and at the progeny level. Nineteen genotypes and four progenies showed a susceptibility to Blight not significantly different from C. mollissima. The methodology was easy to apply in extensive/preliminary selection screenings to assess the susceptibility of C. sativa materials to the Blight.
Highlights
The Ascomycete fungus Cryphonectria parasitica (Murrill) M.E
The disease in Europe was first detected in Italy in 1938 (EPPO current status: Present) [1,2] from where it spread to the neighboring countries of Switzerland (1948; widespread), Slovenia (1950; restricted distribution), and France (1956; restricted distribution) [3,4]
Most of the European C. parasitica populations seem to have originated from single introductions since they have reduced genetic diversity [6]
Summary
The Ascomycete fungus Cryphonectria parasitica (Murrill) M.E. Barr (Sordariomycetes, Valsaceae) is the causal agent of chestnut blight, one of the most devastating diseases affecting Castanea sp. worldwide. The Ascomycete fungus Cryphonectria parasitica (Murrill) M.E. Barr (Sordariomycetes, Valsaceae) is the causal agent of chestnut blight, one of the most devastating diseases affecting Castanea sp. (EPPO current status: Present) [1,2] from where it spread to the neighboring countries of Switzerland (1948; widespread), Slovenia (1950; restricted distribution), and France (1956; restricted distribution) [3,4]. The disease is currently present in Spain (1947; restricted distribution), Croatia (1955; widespread), Albania (1967; widespread), Serbia (1975; widespread), Portugal (1989; widespread) and Germany (1992; restricted distribution), Azerbaijan (2004; present), United Kingdom (2011; restricted distribution), and Belgium (2014; restricted distribution) [1,5]. Most of the European C. parasitica populations seem to have originated from single introductions since they have reduced genetic diversity [6].
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