| Abstract: | Pathogenicity tests with Bursaphelenchus mucronatus on pine and spruce seedlings in Germany Inoculation tests on Pinus sylvestris seedlings with a German, a Siberian and a French isolate of Bursaphelenchus mucronatus and on Picea abies seedlings using only the German isolate have clearly shown, under German field conditions, that the nematode can cause wilt symptoms on the apex of about 60% of the inoculated P. sylvestris plants. The nematodes in all these tests mostly remained near the inoculation site. However, further spread of the nematodes and wilt symptoms occured when a climate chamber, at 25°C, was used or when the French isolate was used outdoors. At 25°C, 10% of the inoculated plants with at least 1000 nematodes per seedling died. Seedlings' apices wilted if more than 50 nematodes per trunk were present, whereas smaller numbers of nematodes could cause partial wilting. Nevertheless, a few pine seedlings did tolerate high nematode-population densities, up to 966 per plant. No further progress of wilt of plants with symptoms was observed the following year. Inoculations of P. abies with a German isolate resulted in population development near the site of inoculation. Spruces largely tolerated nematode infestations without any development of wilt symptoms. |
