The association of young weevil-killed pine and spruce terminals with Phellinuspini in western Canada

Abstract

Terminals of jack pine (Pinusbanksiana Lamb.), lodgepole pine (Pinuscontorta Dougl. ex Loud. van latifolia Engelm.), and white spruce (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss), killed by either Pissodesstrobi (Peck) or Pissodesterminalis Hopping, were sampled from 17 sites in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the Northwest Territories. The weevil-killed terminals were examined for decay caused by Phellinuspini (Brot.:Fr.). Wood chips taken from the terminals were placed on agar media in an attempt to isolate P. pini. No decay was observed in the terminals. Of 192 isolations from freshly killed terminals, 32% were sterile. Phellinuspini was not isolated from any of the terminals. The predominant fungi found were Aureobasidiumpullulans (de Bary) Arn., Hormonemadematioides Lagerberg & Melin, and Phialemoniumdimorphosporum W. Gams & W.B. Cooke. Weevil-killed terminals from lodgepole pine and white spruce that had been dead for up to 6 years were sampled for the presence of P. pini. The fungus was not found in any of the decayed wood in the terminals, although several other unidentified Basidiomycete species were isolated.