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Causal agents of current season needle necrosis on Trojan Fir (Abies nordmanniana subsp. equi-trojani) growing in the Aladağ mountain range in Bolu Province

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Abstract

In the spring of 2021, Current Season Needle Necrosis (CSNN) symptoms were observed on about 60% of the needles together with needle cast on Trojan Fir (Abies equi-trojani) growing in Aladağ Mountain range near Bolu province of Turkey. From the 200 symptomatic needles, obtained from 10 branch samples collected from 10 different trees in the years 2021 and 2022 each, the following eight fungi were recovered in the respective percentages; Didymella sp. (25.5%), Sydowia polyspora (25%), Alternaria alternata (14.5%), Aureobasidium sp. (1.5%), Epicoccum sp. (1.5%), Colletotrichum fioriniae (0.5%), Botrytis cinerea (0.5%) and Rhizosphaera macrospora (0.5%). Isolations were made from 200 asymptomatic needles collected from Kastamonu (150) and Bolu (50) provinces and the following fungi were recovered; Didymella sp. (30%), A. alternata (8.5%), S. polyspora (1%), Epicoccum sp. (1%) and Rhizopus sp. (0.5%). S. polyspora was recovered from only the asymptomatic fir needles collected from Bolu province. Pathogenicity of the three potential pathogenic fungi were tested on the needles of healthy fir saplings by spraying spore suspensions and S. polyspora produced necrosis on 37% of the intact needles, following Didymella sp. with 23% and C. fioriniae 21%. Mix inoculum of the three fungi formed necrosis on 30.5% of the fir needles. Pathogenicity of S. polyspora was also tested on wounded needles and it produced higher rates of infection than the healthy ones. Pathogenicity of S. polyspora, Didymella sp., C. fioriniae were tested on barks of 3 years old fir saplings and only the former produced significant size of necrosis, 3.16 cm in 28 days. Occurrence of CSNN on Trojan fir was first recorded in Bolu province of Turkey with this study.

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Acknowledgements

We are thankful to the staff of Western Black Sea Forestry Research Institute, Bolu Forest Regional Directorate and General Directory of Forestry. We would also like to thank to Utku Danış, the Director of Ilgaz Regional Forestry Directorate for providing of saplings. The help of Aslı Özcan on the design of the map in Fig. 1 is appreciated. We also thank Dr. Tolga Zaman for providing assistance with the statistical analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Central Research Laboratory Application and Research Center, Çankırı Karatekin University, Çankırı, 18100, Turkey

    Deniz Çakar

  2. Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Çankırı Karatekin University, Çankırı, 18100, Turkey

    Seçil Akıllı Şimşek

  3. Aegean Research Institute, Urla, İzmir, 35430, Turkey

    Aydın Çömez

  4. Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Ankara University, Ankara, 06110, Turkey

    Salih Maden

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  1. Deniz Çakar
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Contributions

All authors have contributions on every part of the study. Deniz Çakar: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Molecular analysis, Formal analysis Seçil Akıllı Şimşek: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Aydın Çömez: Investigation Salih Maden: Conceptualization, Methodology, Supervision.

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Correspondence to Deniz Çakar.

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Çakar, D., Şimşek, S.A., Çömez, A. et al. Causal agents of current season needle necrosis on Trojan Fir (Abies nordmanniana subsp. equi-trojani) growing in the Aladağ mountain range in Bolu Province. Australasian Plant Pathol. 52, 317–326 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13313-023-00921-z

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