Evaluation of Dutch elm disease susceptibility and pathogenicity of Ophiostoma ulmi using micropropagated elm shoots

Elm (Ulmus sp.) shoots from in vitro micropropagated plants were tested with Ophiostoma ulmi culture filtrates, at different dilutions to determine the susceptibility of different host clones to Dutch elm disease (DED). ‘Commelin’, a susceptible Dutch hybrid, showed a high wilting index but that of American elm was higher. Although U. pumila × japonica (Sapporo gold 2) was the most tolerant to spore inoculation, its wilting index was as high as that of ‘Commelin’. The absorption capacity and wilting index of the elm shoots showed consistent correlation to isolate effectiveness (as determined by inoculation experiments), to production of toxin (cerato-ulmin) and to filtrate dilution. This method could be used to assess the effectiveness of the different O. ulmi isolates and for the detection of elm genotypes that are highly susceptible to Dutch elm disease.