Sphaeropsis sapinea Dyko & Sutton Associated with Shoot Blight on Pinus brutia Ten. in Southwestern Turkey

Abstract

Abstract -This study was conducted in order to determine the agents of shoot blight and dieback of Calabrian pines at Aşağı Gökdere, Isparta province, in 2005 and 2006. Ninety trees were selected systematically in the stand. One dead branch from each tree was cut and the shoots were investigated under the stereomicroscope for the presence of fungal structures. Sphaeropsis sapinea Dyko & Sutton and Truncatella hartigii (Tubeuf) Steyaert were common fungi, with the observation frequencies of 21.1% and 46.7%, respectively. Pathogenicity of two fungi was investigated by winter and spring inoculations on Calabrian and Crimean pine. After eight months incubation period, the lesion sizes were measured. S. sapinea was found to be quite aggressive and large lesions formed on both hosts while lesions caused by T. hartigii did not differ significantly from the control