Temperature effect on Chalara fraxinea: heat treatment of saplings as a possible disease control method. Issue 5 (14th March 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hauptman, T.; Piškur, B.; de, M.; Ogris, N.; Ferlan, M.; Jurc, D.; Holdenrieder, O.
• Is Part Of: Forest pathology. Volume 43:Issue 5(2013:Oct.)
• Page Start: 360
• Page End: 370
• Publication Date: 2013-03-14
• Subjects: Trees -- Diseases and pests -- Periodicals; Trees -- Effect of air pollution on -- Periodicals; Forests and forestry -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; 634.9
• DOI: 10.1111/efp.12038
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1437-4781

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="efp12038-abs-0001"> <title>Summary</title> <p>Ash dieback is an emerging disease caused by the fungus <italic>Chalara fraxinea</italic> that severely affects <italic>Fraxinus excelsior</italic> and <italic>F. angustifolia</italic> stands in Europe. Previous studies have shown that this pathogen prefers temperatures around 20°C, while its growth in pure cultures at 30°C proved to be very limited. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of temperature on the development and growth of <italic>C. fraxinea</italic> in pure cultures and in plant tissues, as well as to test the heat tolerance of <italic>F. excelsior</italic> saplings. The sensitivity of fungus to heat in ash tissues was higher than in pure cultures. Low isolation success rate from diseased ash tissue after a five‐hour hot water treatment at 36°C and the relatively high survival rate of ash saplings after hot water treatments at 36°C and 40°C indicate possibilities for the development of a <italic>C. fraxinea</italic> eradication method in ash saplings. Field monitoring showed that in hot weather periods, thermal conditions inside the ash tissues can be extreme enough to markedly decrease the viability of <italic>C. fraxinea</italic> in infected plant tissues.</p> </abstract>