The tea‐oil tree Camellia oleifera is native to China and is cultivated in many parts of southern China. Anthracnose on Ca. oleifera is one of the most serious diseases in China. The major causal pathogen of tea‐oil anthracnose is Colletotrichum fructicola, but the detailed molecular mechanisms of its pathogenicity are still largely unclear. Vacuolar protein sorting 39 (Vps39) is a component of the

Uromycladium acaciae has caused an epidemic of wattle rust on Acacia mearnsii in southern Africa since 2013. In April 2016, conidiomata of a species of Sphaerellopsis were observed parasitizing telia of U. acaciae on foliar samples collected from three plantations in Mpumalanga, South Africa. An isolate was identified as Sphaerellopsis macroconidialis based on a phylogenetic species hypothesis of the

Acacia crassicarpa is a legume tree of rapid growth and high pulp yield and fibre quality, making this species the basis of large commercial plantations for pulpwood production in Southeast Asian countries. Since a disease has caused significant economic losses in a nursery in the province of Riau, Sumatra, Indonesia, this study aimed to identify the causal agent of the root rot, damping‐off and wilting

This article describes the fungi isolated from the blighted leaf of rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) tree in Malaysia. Previously, Neofusicoccum ribis (Family Botryosphaeriaceae) was reported as the causal agent of rubber leaf blight in Malaysia. To date, there are limited studies on this particular disease in Malaysia and worldwide. The current study was carried out on rubber leaves displaying leaf blight

Since the early 2000s, Persian oak forests in the Zagros in Iran have shown signs of decline. This study was designed to determine the relationships between crown dieback of Persian oak (Quercus brantii) with morphological and physiological leaf traits in two forest sites: Sheshdar (SH) and Gatchan (GA) in Ilam, Western Iran. Trees with increasing severity of crown dieback were selected from healthy

The process of inter‐specific hybridization between the invasive, highly pathogenic pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus and the Eurasian‐native, relatively harmless B. mucronatus has been examined with the aid of the B. xylophilus Roller (Bxy‐rol(tom3) mutation (Tomalak & Filipiak, 2019) as a morphological marker, in the breeding protocol. Validity of the morphologically based selection of

Recent new outbreaks of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus in Spain and adverse pine wilt disease expansion forecasts must be met with rapid advances in genetic breeding against this pathogen. The optimal approach for breeding trees that are more resistant to pine wilt disease is to use the most virulent isolates in inoculation assays. A series of controlled inoculation experiments on Botrytis cinerea cultures

New Zealand kauri (Agathis australis) trees are culturally, socially and ecologically significant within northern New Zealand's nutrient‐poor podocarp forest ecosystems. Phytophthora agathidicida is an aggressive oomycete pathogen, capable of killing A. australis across its ecological range, causing the disease known as kauri dieback. The pathogen, like many other forest Phytophthora species, commences

Myrtle rust (MR) caused by Austropuccinia psidii is one of the most important diseases affecting eucalypt (Eucalyptus) plantations in Brazil. Over the years, selection and planting of MR‐resistant clones has been the primary strategy for MR management. In May 2013, young trees of the GG100 hybrid (E. grandis × E. urophylla) clone—widely planted in Brazil and previously classified as resistant to MR—were

Plots were established in 20 juvenile mixed conifer stands in the Interior Cedar Hemlock biogeoclimatic zone of British Columbia's southern interior region in western Canada to assess mortality and host response to infection in the form of basal lesions caused by Armillaria ostoyae. Western redcedar showed significantly lower mortality and a higher proportion of callused lesions at the root collar

Establishing a transformation system is an essential first step for functional studies. Numerous transformation systems have been developed and optimized for filamentous ascomycetes, including Agrobacterium‐mediated transformation. Recently, such a system was developed for the African tree pathogen Ceratocystis albifundus. This fungus is part of the family Ceratocystidaceae, which includes many tree

To evaluate the potential impact of Sirococcus tsugae on Belgian coniferous forest, a pathogenicity test was conducted through wound inoculation of two‐year‐old seedlings of different tree species. Picea abies, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Pinus sylvestris, Larix x eurolepsis as well as Tsuga heterophylla and Cedrus atlantica were inoculated with an isolate of S. tsugae collected from the only known infected

Sycamore maple is a valuable admixture species in many European countries, including Slovakia. As most species belonging to the genus Acer, it is susceptible to several pathogenic organisms including species of Oomycetes. To determine whether the decline of Acer pseudoplatanus in Slovakia is caused by pathogenic Oomycetes, soil samples were taken from the rhizosphere in three sycamore maple stands

Lilacs (Syringa spp.), a genus of trees and shrubs in the Oleaceae, are known for their beautiful, fragrant flowers and are widely cultivated as ornamentals. In September 2017, a new leaf spot disease was observed on S. oblata in the Sui and Tang Ruins Dynasties Botanical Garden in Luoyang, Henan Province, China. Leaf symptoms appeared as small brown lesions at earlier stages, which with age turned

The Eucalyptus foliar pathogen Teratosphaeria destructans causes severe and widespread damage in South‐East Asian and South African plantations. In 2016, leaf blight symptoms resembling those caused by T. destructans were observed in a plantation of a Eucalyptus grandis × E. urophylla hybrid in Sabah, Malaysia. The aims of this study were to confirm the identity of the causal agent as T. destructans

Ceratocystis wilt of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) caused by the fungus Ceratocystis fimbriata was observed in 2018 in commercial plantations located in São Mateus do Sul, PR and Arvorezinha, RS, Brazil, where mortality of the plants was up to 5%. Due to the need of control measures for this disease and to the lack of knowledge on the impact of this pathogen this new host, this study aimed to evaluate

Erysiphe corylacearum, a species of powdery mildew that parasitizes on Corylus spp., has been detected for the first time in Romania. Shortly after the first European record of this pathogen from Ukraine, it was found in many locations throughout the Romanian Carpathians. Disease symptoms on Corylus avellana, morphological characteristics and molecular data (rDNA internal transcribed spacer region)

Bursaphelenchus xylophilus is the causal agent of pine wilt disease, which leads to the devastation of millions of hectares of pine trees worldwide. Protein kinase B (AKT) is a structurally conserved serine/threonine kinase with a pleckstrin homology domain and a kinase domain, and it plays versatile biological roles across different animal kingdoms. We, therefore, investigated the molecular characteristics

Walnut blight caused by Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis (Xaj) is one of the most detrimental diseases affecting walnut quality and production. A screen of 18 walnut genotypes for leaf resistance to Xaj suggested species independent variation and revealed four highly resistant (HR) cultivars (‘96’, ‘91’, ‘Chuanzao2’ and ‘Qingxiang’), while ‘Yanyuanzao’ and ‘Xiangling’ were highly susceptible (HS)

Marasmius palmivorus is a marasmioid fungal species that exhibits parasitic behaviour, although most marasmioids are rarely parasitic. The fungus has been reported to cause fruit bunch rot disease of oil palm and coconut, but only a few studies on its pathogenic behaviour are available, particularly on oil palm. Hence, there is a need to assess the ability of the fungus to act as a pathogen and to

Dwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium species) are arboreal, hemiparasitic plants of conifers that can change the structure and function of the tree crown. Hemlock dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium tsugense subsp. tsugense) principally parasitizes western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) and effects 10.8% of all western hemlock trees in Oregon, USA. In this study, we climbed 16 western hemlock trees (age 97–321 years

This article corrects the following: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/efp.12648 In the article, ‘A Critical appraisal on the recurrence of sandalwood spike disease and its management practices’ by Mondal et al. (2020) one of the references was cited incorrectly: Teixeira da Silva et al. (2016a). Additionally, an important reference was omitted: Teixeira da Silva et al. (2016b). The authors

Esteya vermicola is a potential biological agent of the pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, due to its high infectivity. However, knowledge of E. vermicola colonization in the host pine tree is less known. To reveal the distribution pattern of E. vermicola inside the pine tree and the interactions between fungus and PWN, biocontrol tests were conducted on 10 years old Pinus densiflora

The pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi is considered a main driver of Iberian oak decline (IOD), a forest disease which decimates holm oaks (Quercus ilex) and cork oaks (Quercus suber) in a multipurpose, silvo‐pastoral and seminatural ecosystem of 3.1 million hectares in the south‐west of Europe. Little is known about the spatial dynamics of Phytophthora cinnamomi and how forest stand characteristics

The genus Diaporthe is a cosmopolitan group of fungi that includes important plant pathogens, endophytes and saprobes with the ability to colonize a wide range of plant hosts. Pathogenic Diaporthe species are often reported to cause symptoms like dieback, stem canker, leaf spots, fruit rots and seed decay resulting in important economic losses on several crops. However, the occurrence of Diaporthe

Trade of herbaceous and woody ornamental plants is recognized as a principal pathway for the introduction of alien plant pathogens, such as soil‐borne Phytophthora and Pythium species (oomycetes). The rhizosphere soil of container‐grown plants obtained from 13 nurseries and garden centres in southern Sweden were sampled and the presence of Phytophthora and Pythium species determined using traditional

Wounds on felled tree stems provide entrance to inner wood for many fungi, including blue‐staining fungi, which cause permanent discoloration of wood. The aim of work presented here was to explore the diversity of blue‐stain fungi and assess the influence of the felling method and storage time/sampling period on their abundance and species diversity. Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris) grown in Poland were

A previously unknown Exobasidium disease was observed on the fruits of Camellia japonica in Korea. The associated fungus was identified as Exobasidium camelliae based on morphological characteristics and internal transcribed spacer and large‐subunit rDNA sequence analyses. To our knowledge, this is the first report of E. camelliae on C. japonica in Korea.

Dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium spp.,Viscaceae) (DM), a hemiparasitic plant, is nutritionally dependent upon its host tree and causes tree mortality in forests worldwide. Dwarf mistletoe infection results in physiological changes in the host, eventually causing the death of the host tree. In this study, we evaluated the changes in leaf reflectance of spruce trees, Picea crassifolia, infected by DM (Arceuthobium

Snow mold fungi cause serious damage to the seedlings of some coniferous species in the boreal region where deep snow covers the seedlings in winter. Racodium therryanum is one of the fungi causing such damage in Japan. Neither sexual nor asexual spores of R. therryanum have been found in the field, and thus, the taxonomy and life cycle of this fungus is unclear. In this study, we developed seven microsatellite

Tubakia species are fungi causing leaf spots and blights and are reported worldwide, mainly in Asia, Europe and North America. These diseases often occur on Quercus (oak) trees, which constitute one of the dominant broad‐leaved tree genera in the world, so forest structure, function and dynamics could be affected by Tubakia infection. However, few data about the negative impacts of Tubakia on key leaf

Sandal (Santalum album) is an important forest tree that has been utilized for centuries, valued for its wood and scented essential oil derived from the heartwood. Sandalwood spike disease (SSD) is one of the most destructive problems that affect Indian sandalwood. In 1969, three research groups confirmed that the causal agent of SSD was a phytoplasma. Although research literature on sandalwood spike

Traditional screening of American elm (Ulmus americana) for resistance to Dutch elm disease (DED) often requires many years between initial propagation of trees and inoculation of older trees in the field. Previously published studies have found an association between smaller vessel diameters and increased resistance to DED, but further validation was needed to determine whether it could provide a

Constitutive and inducible terpene production is involved in conifer resistance against insects and fungal infestations. To gain knowledge about local defence responses of Norway spruce bark against pathogens and to find potential chemical markers for resistance breeding, we inoculated the stem of 8‐year‐old Norway spruce (Picea abies) clonal trees with both Endoconidiophora polonica (Ep, a common

A survey for Bursaphelenchus species was carried out in broadleaf forest sites of İzmit Forest Management Directorate. Nematodes were extracted from 128 wood samples, and 22 of them were cultured. Nematodes were identified using morphological characteristics and molecular analysis by amplifying D2‐D3 LSU with primers. Only one Bursaphelenchus species, Bursaphelenchus mucronatus kolymensis, was isolated

Nothophaeocryptopus gaeumannii causes Swiss needle cast disease in Douglas‐fir forest trees and ornamental plantations. This study analysed disease and pathogen behaviour from summer 2011 to spring 2012. An untreated plot within a Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca plantation in Valle de Bravo, Mexico was divided into 12 sub‐plots. At each sampling date, needles were collected from four trees per sub‐plot

The diversity of vegetative compatibility (vc) types of chestnut blight fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica, has been reported to be very low in all of Turkey, except in the eastern Black Sea Region. However, risk for increase in vc type diversity has been pointed out regarding the emergence of new vc types as recombinants during sexual reproduction. In this study, the potential increase in the diversity

A conceptual framework for evaluation of climate effects on tree diseases is presented. Climate can exacerbate tree diseases by favouring pathogen biology, including reproduction and infection processes. Climatic conditions can also cause abiotic disease—direct stress or mortality when trees’ physiological limits are exceeded. When stress is sublethal, weakened trees may subsequently be killed by secondary

Two‐year‐old interior Douglas‐fir seedlings in a greenhouse were artificially inoculated with Coniferiporia sulphurascens and grown for four years. The study population included 2,261 seedlings from 94 half‐sibling families distributed across four breeding zones. There was little mortality over the 4 years, but there was advanced stain internally at the root collar from infection by the fungus indicating

Quantification of total phenolic compounds in the heartwood of Picea abies using the Folin–Ciocalteu methods showed that concentrations of phenolic compounds in the heart‐ and sapwood of Picea abies varied, depending on the decay class to which boles were allocated. In the heartwood, mean phenolic concentration was 3.28 mg/g, compared with 2.44 mg/g in sapwood. Experiments using different concentrations

Dieback and trunk canker symptoms were observed on centenarian plane trees (Platanus orientalis) in Gezi Park and Dolmabahçe Avenue in İstanbul province of Turkey in August 2015. Reddish‐brown canker lesions covered approximately half of the tree trunk, from roots to top of the trees. The external symptoms were chlorosis, defoliation and dieback, and most of the affected trees were leafless. Three

Brown spot needle blight, caused by Lecanosticta acicola, is a serious disease of pines worldwide and has become of great concern in Europe over the last decade, with significantly increased outbreaks in pine forests. We examined native and non‐native Pinaceae taxa (four Cedrus and 24 Pinus) in the Atatürk Arboretum, Istanbul, Turkey, for the presence of L. acicola. Needles were sampled from 37 trees

Teratosphaeria foliar pathogens cause leaf and shoot blight on Eucalyptus trees in many parts of the world. Among them, T. destructans is one of the most aggressive pathogens causing defoliation of young Eucalyptus trees in tropic regions. Identification of T. destructans to species level is currently not possible based solely on morphological characteristics or ITS sequence data. The aim of this study

In western Ukraine, forest decline and dieback of several broadleaved tree species have become increasingly evident during recent years, and surveys in some areas have shown symptoms indicative of Phytophthora infections. In this study, we aimed to determine the occurrence and diversity of Phytophthora species associated with several broadleaved tree species (Alnus glutinosa, Betula pendula, Castanea

A historical outbreak of needle blight disease was recorded during 2018 to 2019 in plantations of Pinus radiata and Pinus nigra in the North of Spain. The main pathogens involved in this historical outbreak were identified as Lecanosticta acicola and Dothistroma septosporum. Recently, a variety of tree species in three arboreta planted between 2011 and 2013 in the Basque Country as part of the European

Root disease pathogens, including Armillaria, are a leading cause of growth loss and tree mortality in forest ecosystems of North America. Armillaria spp. have a wide host range and can cause significant reductions in tree growth that may lead to mortality. DNA sequence comparisons and phylogenetic studies have allowed a better understanding of Armillaria spp. taxonomic diversity. Genetic sequencing

Eucalyptus spp. and their hybrids are frequently cloned and mass planted across farmland tracts and commercial plantations in northern India. It is a viable feeder species to the paper and pulp industries in this region. In 2018 and 2019, during field surveys conducted in northern India, a serious leaf blight disease was frequently observed in E. tereticornis plantations. Isolation from the blighted

The mode of persistence of Phytophthora cinnamomi, a highly aggressive soil‐ and water‐borne pathogen, remains unclear. This study investigated the survival of viable oospores and chlamydospores of P. cinnamomi when present as free propagules in untreated soil, or in soil subject to four exogenous treatments: smoke water, fish emulsion and two fungicides (ridomil and furalaxyl). The exogenous treatments

English walnut (Juglans regia) is an important nut crop worldwide and is currently considered emerging in Italy. Botryosphaeriaceae fungi cause symptoms including cankers, discoloration and dieback, and several species are reported across the world on walnut. In this study, symptomatic trees from an orchard in Southern Italy showing branch dieback, cankers, wood discoloration and gummosis were surveyed

Stands of the landscape‐dominant tree, Metrosideros polymorpha (‘ōhi‘a) on the Island of Hawai‘i, HI., USA, are dying from a phenomenon known as rapid ‘ōhi‘a death (ROD). Approximately 180,000 acres of forest have already been impacted by the disease, the majority of which is attributed to C. lukuohia, the more aggressive of the two Ceratocystis species responsible for ROD. Three isolates of C. lukuohia

Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, the causal agent of common ash dieback, possesses a low level of genetic diversity in Europe. The introduction of novel strains of this fungus must be prevented, due to the possible emergence of new virulence alleles, which could result in the infestation of the small proportion of hitherto resistant or tolerant ash trees. More comprehensive knowledge of the host spectrum of

Lawson cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana), an important landscape tree, is widely planted in gardens and parks throughout Iran. Crown gall disease on Lawson cypress trees was observed in Sari and Juybar Counties, Mazandaran province, northern Iran, in 2017. Isolation from galls on potato dextrose agar (PDA) containing CaCO3 yielded bacterial colonies, the predominant types of which were purified and

Dothistroma needle blight (DNB) caused by the ascomycetous fungus Dothistroma septosporum is an important pine disease in Europe. In this study, we determined the distribution and abundance of D. septosporum in local Scots pine forests and plantations in Lithuania and neighbouring Belarus by combining morphological observations and molecular tools. This is the first valid report on the occurrence of

During the annual monitoring surveys for the pinewood nematodes, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, conducted in the Tuscany region (Central Italy) from the year 2015 to 2019, a total of 1,025 wood samples were collected from symptomatic plants in coniferous forests. Among the eight Bursaphelenchus species found, Bursaphelenchus abietinus and B. andrassyi were identified through morphological and molecular

Six species of the genus Bursaphelenchus were recovered as the result of a survey to assess the potential introduction of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus into the conifer forests of Romania. Bursaphelenchus xylophilus was not detected in the sampling regions. Bursaphelenchus dietrichi was recovered from one point, representing the first report of this species in the country. The other detected species,

Taxonomical re‐examination of the Phyllosticta species parasitic fungi on coniferous trees (Cupressaceae) in Japan was conducted based on current criteria, such as morphological and cultural characteristics, phylogenetic relationship and pathogenicity. Phylogenetic analyses revealed several clades composed of plant pathogens isolated from a specific host as well as clades composed of endophytic species

The genus Quambalaria includes several important pathogens of Eucalyptus and Corymbia spp., mainly those that cause leaf and shoot blight. The species Quambalaria eucalypti has been reported to be an aetiological agent of this disease in Brazil only in nurseries involved in the production of Eucalyptus minicuttings, where climatic conditions are more favourable for the pathogen. The aim of this study

In temperate systems of the Northern Hemisphere, wood‐decay fungi are known to facilitate cavity excavation by woodpeckers. For South America, woodpecker–fungi interactions have not been explored. The aim of this work was to identify wood‐decay fungi associated with the process of cavity excavation by the Magellanic woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus), a large South American picid that excavates

A Belgium‐wide survey to determine the presence of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma ulmi’ elm trees was performed on nearly 600 elm trees. The randomly sampled elms were screened for the presence of phytoplasmas using a standard generic nested PCR method. In five symptomless elm trees, phytoplasmas were detected. Multiple gene sequence analysis (16S rRNA, tuf, rplV‐rpsC‐rplP), virtual RFLP of the 16S rRNA gene