Seed born fungi associated with birch trees in Northern forests of Iran

Document Type : Short paper

Authors

1 M. Sc. Student, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, I. R. Iran.

2 M. Sc. Student, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, I. R. Iran

3 Assistant professor, Forestry faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Gorgan, I. R. Iran.

Abstract

   Birch is one of the most important trees in the northern forests which presently face extinction. Natural regeneration of these valuable trees is affected by various constraints, including pests and fungal diseases. In order to isolate and identify seed born fungi associated with Betula, seeds of 2 B.litwinowii and B.pendula was randomly collected from mature trees in mazandaran and golestan provinces. Seeds were surface sterilized with 70% ethanol and 1% sodium hypochlorite. Ten seeds in 5 replications plated on potato dextrose agar. Seed mycoflora was identified on the basis of spore characteristics, size, color and identification keys. A number of fungi including: Fusarium oxysperum, Alternaria alternate, Trichothecium roseumm, Amblyosporium echnolatum, Penicillum implicatum and Trichodema harzianum were isolated and identified and their frequency and incidence were recorded. The fungi T. harzianum, P.implicatum and A.alternata were externally observed with 34.5, 27.8 and 24.6% incidence, respectively and T.roseumm was observed after germination with 20.15% incidence. Results indicated that seeds can infect birth seeds externally or internally. This is the first report of fungi associated with birch seeds in Iran.

Keywords

Iranian Journal of Forest and Range Protection Research
Volume 10, Issue 2 - Serial Number 2
December 2013
Pages 165-168

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History

  • Receive Date: 25 October 2012
  • Revise Date: 05 January 2015
  • Accept Date: 13 February 2013

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