The influence of selected climatological characteristicson antracnose disease development in plane trees.

Abstract

ivanova H., Bernadovicova S., Pastircakova k.: The influence of selected climatological characteristics on antracnose disease development in plane trees. ekologia (Bratislava), vol. 29, no. 4, p. 430-440, 2010. The plane tree (Platanus sp.) is one of frequently used ornamental trees in Slovak urban areas. The population of London plane in the Slovak Republic has not been affected so far by important dangerous pathogens common to warmer regions of Europe. However, in recent years the health state of plane trees has been significantly deteriorating. During 2004–2008, reappearances of anthracnose on Platanus × hispanica M u n c h h . were recorded. The causal agens of the disease, microscopical fungi of genus Apiognomonia [A. veneta (S a c c . & S p e g . ) H o h n .], were isolated from symptomatic leaves and twigs, with characteristic spots and lesions sampled from affected host trees growing in the urban environment at the selected localities (Nitra, Komarno, Piesťany). The spreading of fungi basically depends on meteorological conditions, for example air humidity and precipitation, active solar radiation and air temperature. In this study, climatological parameters, air temperature and annual precipitation with their influence on the incidence of Apiognomonia anthracnose on plane trees growing in urban settings are presented. Our results show that plane population damage can be irreversible and very considerable in consequence of repeated climatically unfavourable years, resulting in the subsequent development of A. veneta infection.