Growth rates of Heterobasidion annosum s.s. and H. parviporum in functional sapwood of Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies

Growth rates of H. annosum s.s. and H. parviporum were investigated in the functional sapwood of young Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies plants as an indicator of the relative susceptibilities of the hosts to these pathogens. The stems of 520 five‐year‐old P. abies and 321 four‐year‐old P. sylvestris plants were inoculated and the extent of infection determined 16 weeks later. H. annosum s.s. grew further than H. parviporum in P. sylvestris sapwood, while in P. abies, no differences between the two Heterobasidion spp. were found. Both H. annosum s.s. and H. parviporum spread faster in the sapwood of P. abies than in P. sylvestris. There was high within‐host species variation in growth rates for both P. sylvestris and P. abies suggesting it may be possible to identify tree genotypes with lower susceptibility.