Pathogenicity of ophiostomatoid fungi on Picea abies in Slovenia

Abstract

SummaryPathogenic fungi can survive and develop in living plants, often causing diseases in the host. Some theories speculate that pathogenic ophiostomatoid fungi provide benefits to its vectors – bark beetles – by overcoming the tree's defence mechanisms. This study reports the results of an experiment in south‐eastern Europe in which mature and seedling Norway spruce trees were artificially inoculated with various ophiostomatoid fungi. The aim of the experiment was to determine the relative virulence of ophiostomatoid fungi by assessing the ability of the fungi to stimulate host tree defence mechanisms through inoculation experiments. Experiments were performed by inoculation of Picea abies in seedling and mature trees. The following fungi were used in low‐density and seedling inoculations: Ophiostoma ainoae, O. brunneo‐ciliatum, Grosmannia cucullata and an unidentified Leptographium sp., O. bicolor, O. fuscum, O. piceae, G. penicillata and G. piceiperda. Endoconidiophora polonica was used in mass and seedling inoculations. Various characteristics such as host vitality, blue stain, lesion and resin outflow were measured before and after the trees were felled. E. polonica caused blue stain, induced large lesions and killed some of the mature trees and seedlings, confirming earlier reports that it is a strong wound pathogen. Only E. polonica, Leptographium sp. and O. ainoae caused blue stains in the sapwood of inoculated seedlings. In low‐density inoculations, G. piceiperda induced intense necrosis and had higher values for all the characteristics monitored. Some of the other ophiostomatoid fungi showed a moderate level of pathogenicity. Fungi with the capacity to stimulate a host defence mechanism could play a role in the establishment of bark beetle populations.