Inoculation of stumps with Hypholoma fasciculare as a possible means to control armillaria root disease

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bill Chapman ◽  
G. Xiao
1998 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 191-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johann N. Bruhn ◽  
Jeanne D. Mihail ◽  
Timothy R. Meyer

Abstract Armillaria ostoyae causes a destructive root disease in northern conifers. Most infections result from root invasions by rhizomorphs growing through the soil from previously colonized stump and woody root debris. Armillaria longevity in woody debris is related to the colonized volume. Stump and root removal by root raking alone often does not satisfactorily reduce subsequent root disease mortality. This investigation characterized residual woody debris volumes in three conifer seed orchards in northern Ontario. Site preparation for stump and root removal in two of the orchards consisted of root raking alone, vs. Madge Rotoclear™ treatment ("rotoclearing") in the third orchard. Fallow periods between site preparation and planting were 1, 5, and 8 yr in the three orchards, respectively. Mortality related to colonized residual woody debris is continuing in the raked orchards, but appears to have ended in the rotocleared orchard. Root systems of 32 orchard trees recently killed by Armillaria root disease and 9 apparently healthy (otherwise comparable) trees were excavated. Regardless of site preparation method, Armillaria-killed trees were associated with greater total volumes of residual woody debris (comprising larger pieces on average) than were healthy trees. Also, healthy trees in the rotocleared orchard were associated with smaller debris pieces on average than were healthy trees in the root-raked orchard. Size of individual woody debris pieces which contained viable A. ostoyae was highly variable. Even small pieces of colonized debris close to a root crown were apparently capable of causing lethal infection. Nevertheless, compared to root raking, rotoclearing apparently breaks A. ostoyae-colonized woody debris into smaller pieces resulting in more rapid displacement of A. ostoyae. We conclude that rotoclearing followed by a fallow period of 8 yr before planting merits consideration as an inoculum reduction treatment for site preparation. A 10 yr fallow period might have prevented nearly all root disease mortality under the conditions of this study. North. J. Appl. For. 15(4):191-196.


2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles G. Shaw ◽  
D.W. Omdal ◽  
A. Ramsey-Kroll ◽  
L.F. Roth

Abstract A stand of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) severely affected by Armillaria root disease was treated with five different levels of sanitation by root removal to reduce root disease losses in the regenerating stand. Treatments included the following: (1) all trees pushed over by machine, maximum removal of roots by machine ripping, and visible remaining roots removed by hand; (2) all trees pushed over by machine and maximum removal of roots by machine ripping; (3) all trees pushed over by machine with no further removal of roots; (4) smaller trees pushed over by machine but large stumps left, otherwise maximum removal of roots by machine ripping; and (5) all trees felled and removed by skidding, area cleared of slash, sod scalped, and no removal of roots. After 35 years, we found that the more intense and thorough root-removal treatments were generally more effective in reducing the occurrence of Armillaria root disease. However, even the most intensive treatment (treatment 1), which experienced significantly less disease than most other treatments, had 23% of the area expressing mortality. The only operationally feasible treatment (treatment 3) also reduced levels of mortality, but not significantly (40% mortality versus 52% in the control, treatment 5). Although these results support the concept that inoculum removal can reduce root disease levels, the treatment necessary to provide a meaningful reduction in disease loss does not seem to warrant its cost.


1990 ◽  
Vol 20 (11) ◽  
pp. 1773-1778 ◽  
Author(s):  
William H. Livingston

Black spruce (Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) and white spruce (P. glauca (Moench) Voss) plantations, 4–10 years old, were examined for Armillaria root disease. The disease was found in 89% of 27 sample locations, and up to 2% of the trees were recently killed. Armillariaostoyae (Romagn.) Herink was the cause of the disease. Spruce show little reduction in stem height and diameter prior to being killed by the fungus. Lethal infections of A. ostoyae develop primarily at the root collar and are associated with root deformities and small diameters of lateral roots. Root deformities, frequently associated with growing conifer seedlings in containers, are hypothesized to predispose planted spruce to Armillaria root disease.


Plant Disease ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 90 (4) ◽  
pp. 439-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kendra Baumgartner ◽  
Amy E. Warnock

A soil inoculant, Vesta (Biologically Integrated Organics, Inc., Sonoma, CA), was tested for its ability to inhibit Armillaria mellea, causal agent of Armillaria root disease of grapevine (Vitis vinifera). Colony diameter of A. mellea was significantly inhibited by undiluted inoculant (P < 0.0001) and by bacterial isolates cultured from the inoculant (Bacillus subtilis, B. lentimorbus, Comamonas testosteroni, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, P. mendocina; P < 0.0001) relative to diameter of the nontreated control. Efficacy of the inoculant for postinfection control of Armillaria root disease of grapevine was examined in an A. mellea-infested vineyard in northern California. Inoculant was applied via drip-irrigation to vine rows in replicate blocks in 2003 and 2004. Yield, growth, mineral nutrition, and juice quality parameters of healthy and symptomatic vines were measured in treated and nontreated vine rows. Significantly decreased petiole P and K concentrations and significantly lower soluble solids content in fruit from symptomatic vines demonstrated that Armillaria root disease negatively affects vine mineral nutritional status and fruit quality, findings that have not been previously reported for an agronomic host of A. mellea. The inoculant significantly increased cluster weights of symptomatic vines (109.63 g/cluster), relative to those of symptomatic-nontreated vines (92.05 g/cluster), to levels comparable to those of healthy vines (122.09 g/cluster). However, the inoculant did not decrease the rate of symptom development or mortality of treated vines from 2002 to 2004. The results of our field experiment suggest that the inoculant may not prevent Armillaria root disease, but can provide therapeutic benefit by improving productivity of infected vines.


Plant Disease ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Onsando ◽  
P. M. Wargo ◽  
S. W. Waudo

Surveys for Armillaria root disease severity were conducted over a 5-year period in small tea farms (0.5 to 1.0 ha) in the 12 tea-growing districts of Kenya. The disease occurred in all tea districts, but severity was greater in the districts east of the Rift Valley. Disease severity was associated with relative amounts of residual woody debris, especially roots, from trees and shrubs present when the land was converted to tea plantations. Excavation of tea bushes in disease centers showed that infection of tea bushes occurred primarily by mycelial growth from residual tree roots and from infected tea roots rather than from rhizomorphs. Rhizomorphs were scarce, and rarely involved in infection. They were confined mostly to the surface of the residual tree roots and were found growing freely in the soil in only one tea district. Rhizomorphs were more abundant in higher elevation plantations than in lower elevation plantations, where they occurred only on residual tree roots in the deeper, cooler, moister levels of the soil. Inoculum from residual tree debris in the soil was the most important source of infection in plantations of seed origin. Secondary spread from infected tea plants to healthy ones was limited and disease centers were small. In tea plantations derived from clonal cuttings, secondary disease spread from infected to healthy tea plants was more important resulting in large disease centers or gaps due to plant death and removal. Currently, soil sanitation by thorough removal of roots of forest trees and prompt removal of infected tea bushes is the best available management practice.


Plant Disease ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 94 (12) ◽  
pp. 1503-1503 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.-S. Kim ◽  
J. W. Hanna ◽  
N. B. Klopfenstein

The loss and decline of native tree species caused by invasive plant pathogens is a major threat to the endangered endemic forests of the Hawaiian Islands (3). Thus, it is critical to characterize existing pathogens to evaluate potential invasiveness. In August 2005, rhizomorphs and mycelial bark fans of genet HI-4 were collected from dead/declining, mature trees of introduced Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) on the southern flank of Mauna Kea, Hawaii (approximately 19°42′55″N, 155°26′48″W, elevation 2,175 m). In March of 2008, three additional genets (HI-11, HI-13, and HI-16) were collected as rhizomorphs at a site named Pu'u La'au (west slope of the Mauna Kea Forest Reserve area, approximately 19°50′00″N, 155°35′35″W, elevation 2,275 to 2,550 m), approximately 20 km west-northwest of the HI-4 collection. These genets were collected from apparently healthy loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) that were introduced, apparently healthy māmane (Sophora chrysophylla; an endemic tree species of Hawaii), dead and dying māmane, and apparently healthy Methley plum (Prunus cerasifera × Prunus salicina) that was planted. All isolates were determined to have identical sequences in the intergenic spacer-1 rDNA region (GenBank Accession No. DQ995357). On the basis of somatic paring tests against North American Armillaria tester strains and 99% nucleotide sequence identities to GenBank Accession Nos. AY190245 and AY190246, these isolates were identified as Armillaria gallica. Past surveys have noted A. mellea sensu lato and A. nabsnona on numerous hosts in Hawaii, including māmane (3,4). However, to our knowledge, this is the first confirmed report of A. gallica in Hawaii, where it was found on māmane, Monterey pine, loblolly pine, and Methley plum. A. gallica has been widely categorized as a beneficial saprophyte, an opportunistic pathogen, or an aggressive pathogen (2). A recent study suggests that A. gallica can be highly pathogenic in some areas of the eastern United States and it is an important component of forest decline (2), especially under increasing stressors such as climate change. The isolation of A. gallica from declining stands on both introduced and endemic hosts under drought conditions suggests this pathogen is a contributing factor to forest decline on the island of Hawaii. Because the māmane tree is an important component of the native forest stands and essential to the endangered palila bird (Loxioides bailleui), which feeds almost exclusively on its green seeds (1), continued monitoring of Armillaria root disease is warranted. References: (1) P. C. Banko et al. J. Chem. Ecol. 28:1393, 2002. (2) N. J. Brazee and R. L. Wick. For. Ecol. Manage. 258:1605, 2009. (3) R. E. Burgan and R. E. Nelson. USDA For. Serv. Tech. Rep. PSW-3, 1972. (4) J. W. Hanna et al. Plant Dis. 91:634, 2007.


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