Diversity, Phylogeny, Epidemiology and Management of Conifer Needle Diseases

A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X). This special issue belongs to the section "Fungal Evolution, Biodiversity and Systematics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2024) | Viewed by 1673

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Forest Science, Neiker-Tecnalia Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Gasteiz / Vitoria, Bizkaia, Spain
Interests: forest diseases; genetic diversity; physiology; impact prediction; management

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Derio, Spain
Interests: forest diseases; genetic diversity; physiology; Impact prediction; management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Conifer defoliation diseases are a current issue in the field of forest health. These diseases have been widespread and have caused severe defoliation and mortality in exotic and native conifer ecosystems, even in places where they had not been detected before. Silvicultural practices, such as not planting susceptible hosts next to infected trees, and promoting good air circulation can help to prevent disease problems. However, once the needle disease is established, their control is complicated without the application of fungicides. The recent increase in the incidence and severity of these diseases could be closely related to climate change factors that often result in warmer and wetter conditions in addition to the own nature of the pathogens and their interaction. An urgent global strategy facilitated by collaborative programs and research is needed. This special issue is an attempt to share scientific information to understand the diversity, and ecology of these diseases, their interactions, the main environmental causes of this outbreak, and the ways to define research paths through sustainable management strategies.

Dr. Eugenia Iturritxa
Dr. Nebai Mesanza
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • needle diseases
  • blight
  • conifer
  • epidemiology
  • ecology
  • management
  • climate change

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 3242 KiB  
Article
Can the Seed Trade Provide a Potential Pathway for the Global Distribution of Foliar Pathogens? An Investigation into the Use of Heat Treatments to Reduce Risk of Dothistroma septosporum Transmission via Seed Stock
by Katherine Tubby, Jack Forster, Martin Mullett, Robert Needham, Olivia Smith, James Snowden and Shelagh McCartan
J. Fungi 2023, 9(12), 1190; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9121190 - 13 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1380
Abstract
The international plant trade results in the accidental movement of invasive pests and pathogens, and has contributed significantly to recent range expansion of pathogens including Dothistroma septosporum. Seeds are usually thought to present a lower biosecurity risk than plants, but the importation of [...] Read more.
The international plant trade results in the accidental movement of invasive pests and pathogens, and has contributed significantly to recent range expansion of pathogens including Dothistroma septosporum. Seeds are usually thought to present a lower biosecurity risk than plants, but the importation of Pinus contorta seeds from North America to Britain in the mid-1900s, and similarities between British and Canadian D. septosporum populations suggests seeds could be a pathway. Dothistroma septosporum has not been isolated from seeds, but inadequately cleaned seed material could contain infected needle fragments. This case study investigated whether cone kilning, and wet and dry heat treatments could reduce D. septosporum transmission without damaging seed viability. Pinus needles infected with D. septosporum were incubated alongside cones undergoing three commercial seed extraction processes. Additional needles were exposed to temperatures ranging from 10 to 67 °C dry heat for up to 48 h, or incubated in water heated to between 20 and 60 °C for up to one hour. Pinus sylvestris seeds were exposed to 60 and 65 dry heat °C for 48 h, and further seed samples incubated in water heated to between 20 and 60 °C for up to one hour. Dothistroma septosporum survived the three kilning processes and while seeds were not damaged by dry heat exceeding 63.5 °C, at this temperature no D. septosporum survived. Wet heat treatments resulted in less than 10% pathogen survival following incubation at 40 °C, while at this temperature the seeds suffered no significant impacts, even when submerged for one hour. Thus, commercial seed kilning could allow D. septosporum transmission, but elevated wet and dry heat treatments could be applied to seed stock to minimise pathogen risk without significantly damaging seed viability. Full article
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