Abstract
Hypholoma fasciculareis regarded as a potentially effective biocontrol agent againstArmillariaroot disease. However, trials examining its effectiveness are currently limited to controlled lab conditions and field studies conducted mostly during the summer season. We examined the ability ofH. fasciculareto survive and grow underground during the winter and spring seasons to offer insight on its ability to provide year-round protection. Pine blocks inoculated withH. fascicularewere buried in three thinned pine plantations at 30 and 100 cm depths from February 1, 2018 to May 13, 2018 (101 days) to examine how winter and spring soil temperatures at two different soil depths impacted growth. A significant interactive effect of soil depth and month on soil temperature (F3,40= 15.94,p< 0.001) was observed. Mean growth rates did not vary significantly between the two soil depths (F1,23= 0.91,p= 0.393) as growth rates were 0.25 ± 0.11 and 0.31 ± 0.10 mm/day at 30 and 100 cm depths, respectively. Our study supports developingH. fasciculareas a biocontrol agent againstArmillariaroot disease given its ability to grow underground during the winter and early spring seasons, a period during whichArmillariahas a reduced growing capacity.
Highlights
Hypholoma fasciculare is a promising biocontrol option against Armillaria root disease within north temperate and boreal forests across North America
After April 26, 2018, a rapid increase in soil temperature was observed at 30 cm depth, which continued until the day the blocks were excavated
Soil fungi activity is impacted by variation in soil temperatures (Biederbeck and Campbell, 1973)
Summary
Hypholoma fasciculare is a promising biocontrol option against Armillaria root disease within north temperate and boreal forests across North America. Armillaria root disease is caused by an assortment of Armillaria species and resultantly, impacts a broad range of host species (Raabe, 1962; Baumgartner et al, 2011). Our focus here is on Armillaria ostoyae, a highly virulent pathogenic species that causes extensive mortality in pine plantations (Filip et al, 2010; McLaughlin et al, 2011; Lockman and Kearns, 2016). Armillaria ostoyae can rapidly spread within conifer plantations by means of root-to-root contact and via soil rhizomorph production (Toussoun et al, 1970; Myren et al, 1994). Spread is troublesome after thinning interventions due to the sudden increase in inoculum potential
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