Effects of different media on the mycelial growth of Cryphonectria parasitica (Murrill) M.E. Barr

Abstract

It is a well-known fact that a large number of parasitic and saprophytic fungi grow on sweet chestnut trees. However, the greatest damage is caused by C . parasitica which causes "sweet chestnut blight" and leads to its dieback. Hosts other than Castanea species include the following families: Aceraceae, Betulaceae, Fagaceae, Anacardiaceae, Juglandaceae i Magnoliaceae, where it grows as a saprophyte. The exception, according to some authors, is oak, where it can also occur as a parasite. Mycelial growth of C. parasitica was tested on media made of the bark of sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa), manna ash (Fraxinus ornus), sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), sessile oak (Quercus petraea), common yew (Taxus baccata), hazel (Corylus avellana), small-leaved linden (Tilia cordata), Norway maple (Acer platanoides) and English walnut (Juglans regia). After 28 days, the medium was not completely overgrown only in the variants with sycamore maple and Norway maple bark added to the medium.