| Abstract: | Rust susceptibility in pine is known to be heritable, which means that the disease risk remains in a stand. Also, if the climate becomes warmer and more humid, as expected, the risk of rust disease will increase. The main trait of interest and importance in an obligate parasite, such as Endocronartium pini is the variation in pathogenicity. However, to test the variation in pathogenicity the fungal population in a stand must be described. In this study it was possible to partly describe an E. pini population at stand level with RAPD-PCR and identify multiple infections in a single infected tree (Pinus sylvestris). Some RAPD phenotypes detected were more common than others. This suggests some mechanism by which some phenotypes spread more effectively. The E. pini population structures in the two Pinus sylvestris stands studied were also significantly different, even when the stands shared some equally common RAPD phenotypes. The most common phenotype was not always present in a tree with multiple infections, as would be expected. Thus, some specific resistance interaction may occur. Further research is needed to prove this assumption. |
