Investigation on oak charcoal disease in dieback affected forests of Ilam province

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Ilam Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center, AREEO, Ilam, Iran

Abstract

      In recent years, widespread tree dieback simultaneously with charcoal oak disease have occurred in Zagros forest especially in Ilam province. They dramatically  caused damage to oak trees. This research was carried out to identify pathogenic fungi, to prove the pathogenicity and to investigate their pathogenic behavior during 2012-2015 in the forests of Ilam province. After several field observations across the forests of Ilam province, several samples were collected from infected parts of Persian Oak trees and transferred to the laboratory. Then, the samples were cultured to screen the pathogenic agents identified using morphological traits and validated by fungi keys. In order to prove the pathogenicity of the identified fungi, they were inoculated on two-year-old oak seedlings. In the final stage, the pathogenic behavior of fungi was studied. The results showed that fungi causing charcoal diseases in the forests of Ilam province were Biscogniauxia mediterranea and Obolarina persica. Furthermore, the fungi caused the disease on oak seedlings with dieback symptoms on the sections areas above the inoculum site. The study of the pathogenicity behavior of these fungi showed that their contamination began from inoculation site and developed in the wood, in addition to longitudinal extension, the hyphae colonized in transverse and radial directions towards the heartwood, so that it affects the xylem and phloem vessels. Considering the pathogenicity prove of these fungi and their contribution to the weakness and dieback of Persian oak trees, it would be possible to reduce the oak losses by eradicating the dead trees to prevent fungal spore spreading in the region.
 
 

Keywords


Ashrafi, J., Beigi, S. and Bahmani, Z. 2012. Outbreak of oak Charcoal disease in Ilam. The community of Iran forestry, National Conference on Zagros forests, challenges, threats and opportunities, Shiraz, Iran (In Persian).
- Babaie-Kafaie, S. 2004. Forests and rangelands role in absorbing greenhouse gas emissions and offer ways to reduce emissions. The third regional conference and the first International Conference on Climate Change, Isfahan, 323-328.
 -Bony, S., Pichon, N., Ravel, C., Durix, A., Balfourier, F. and Guillaumin, J.J. 2001. The relationship between mycotoxin synthesis and isolate morphology in fungal endophytes of Lolium perenne. New Phytologist, 152:125.
- Collado, J., Platas, G. and Palaez, F. 2001. Identification of an endophytic Nodulosporium sp. from Quercus ilex in central Spain as the anamorph of Biscogniauxia mediterranea by rDNA sequence analysis and effect of different ecological factors on distribution of the fungus. Mycologia, 93:886-875.
- Falahati-Rasegar, M. 1990. Illustrated key Mycology (Ascomycetes). Mashhad Press, Mashhad, 263p (In Persian).
- Franceschini, A., Linaldeddu, B.T., Pisanu, P. and Pisanu, S. 2004. Effects of water stress on endophytic incidence of Biscogniauxia mediterranea in cork oak trees. Journal of Plant Pathology, 86(4): 319-320.
- Ghanbary, E., Tabari Kouchaksaraei, M., Mirabolfathy, M., Modarres Sanavi, S.M.A., and Rahaei, M. 2017. Growth and physiological responses of Quercus brantii seedlings inoculated with Biscogniauxia mediterranea and Obolarina persica under drought stress. Forest pathology, 48: DOI: 10.1111/efp.12353.
- Hosseini, A. 2011. Infestation of forest trees to the borer beetle and its relation to habitat conditions in the Persian oak (Quercus brantii) in Ilam province. Iranian Journal of Forests and Rangelands Protection Research,9(1): 53-66 (In Persian).
- Hosseini, A., Hosseini, S.M., Rahmani, A. and Azadfar, D. 2012. Effect of tree mortality on structure of Brant's oak (Quercus brantii) forests of Ilam province of Iran. Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research. 20(4): 565-577 (In Persian).
- Huberty, A.F. and Denno, R.F. 2004. Plant water stress and its consequences for herbivorous insects: a new synthesis. Ecology, 85: 1383–1398.
-Jose, M., Jose, C., Teresa, B. and Daniel, P. 2005. The relationship between Cerambyx spp damage and subsequent Biscogniauxia mediterranum infection on Quercus suber forests. Forest Ecology and Management, 216: 166–174.
- Jozeyan, A., Vafaei.Shoshtari, R. and Askari, H. 2016. Investigation of Oak Woodpecker Beetles and Their Natural Enemies in the Forests of Ilam Province. Iranian Journal of Forest and Range Protection Rsearch, 14: 107-121 (In Persian).
- Ju, Y.M., Rogers, J.D., Martin, F.S. and Granmo, A. 1998. The Genus Biscogniauxia. Mycotaxon, LXVI, 1-98.
- Ju, Y.M. and Rogers, J.D. 2001. New and interesting Biscogniauxia taxa, with a key to the world species. Mycological Reearch, 105(9): 1123-1133.
- Jurc, D. and Ogris, N. 2006. First reported outbreak of charcoal disease caused by Biscogniauxia mediterranea on Turkey oak in Slovenia. Plant Pathology, 55: 299.
- Martin, J., Cabezas, J., Buyolo, T. and Pato´n, D. 2005. The relationship between Cerambyx spp. damage and subsequent Biscogniauxia mediterranea infection on Quercus suber forests. Forest Ecology and Management, 216: 166–174.
- Mazzaglia, A., Anselmi, N., Gasbarr, A. and Vannini, A. 2001. Development of a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay for the specific detection of Biscogniauxia mediterranea living as an endophyte in oak tissues. Mycological Reearchs, 105(8): 952-956.
- Minasian, V. and Alizadeh, A. 1989. Imperfect fungi. Shahid Chamran Press, Ahvaz, 457p (In Persian).
- Mirabolfathy, M., Groenewald , J.Z. and Crous, P.W. 2011. The Occurrence of Charcoal Disease Caused by Biscogniauxia mediterranea on Chestnut- Leaved Oak (Quercus castaneifolia) in the Golestan Forests of Iran. Plant Disease, 95(7): 876.
- Mirabolfathy, M. 2013a. Outbreak of charcoal disease on Quercus spp and Zelkova carpinifolia trees through Zagros and Alborz montains forests in Iran, Iran Journal of Plant Pathology, 49: 257- 263 (In Persian).
- Mirabolfathy, M., Ju, Y., Hsieh, H. and Rogers, J.D. 2013b. Obolarina persica sp. nov., associated with dying Quercus in Iran. Mycoscience, 54(5): 315-320.
- Mirabolfathy, M., Ashrafi, J., Azadbakht, N., Nasrolahi, M., Safaee, D., Arjomandian, A. and Keshavarz, K. 2016. The study on epidemiology of oak charcoal disease throughout west forest of Iran and the possibility of its control using useful methodsin pilot Agricultural, Research, Education and Extension Organization. Final report of research project, No 50114, 128P (In Persian).
- Pazoutova, S., Srutka, P., Holusa, J., Chudickova, M. and Kolarik, M. 2010. The phylogenetic position of Obolarina dryophila (Xylariales). Mycological Progress, 9:501–507.
- Pouzar, Z. 1986. A key and conspectus of Central European species of Biscogniauxia and Obolarina (Pyrenomycetes). Ceska Mykologi, 40: 1-10.
 -Raei, S., Khodaparast, S.A. and Abasi, M. 2014. More records of Xylariaceous fungi from North of Iran. Rostaniha, 15: 110-121 (In Persian).
- Ragazzi, A. and Tiberi, R. 1998. Ruolo degli insetti fitofagi e dei patogeni fungini nel deperimento delle querce in Italia. Monti e Boschi, 49: 25-28.
- Safaee, D., Khodaparast, S.A., Mirabolfathy, M. and Mousanejad, S. 2016. A multiplex PCR-based technique for identification of Biscogniauxia mediterranea and Obolarina persica causing charcoal disease of oak trees in Zagros forests. Forest pathology, 47(3) DOI: 10.1111/efp.12330.
- Vannini, A., Lucero, G., Anselmi, N. and Vettraino, A.M. 2009. Response of endophytic Biscogniauxia mediterranea to variation in leaf water potential of Quercus cerris. Forest Pathology, 39: 8–14.
- Vannini, A., Luisi, N. and Valentini, R. 1996. Impact of drought and Hypoxylon mediterraneum on oak decline in the Mediterranean region. Annals of Forest Science, 53: 753–760.
- Vannini, A. and Scarascia Mugnozza, G. 1991. Water stress: a predisposing factor in the pathogenesis of Hypoxylon mediterraneum on Quercus cerris. European Journal of Forest Pathology, 21: 193–201.
- Vannini, A. and Valentini, R. 1994. Influence of water relations in Quercus cerrisHypoxylon mediterraneum interaction: a model of drought induced susceptibility to a weakness parasite. Tree Physiology, 14: 129–139.