Browsing by Author "Klingberg, Ninni"

Fungi are the major causal agents of several plant diseases. Fungicides are regularly used in forest tree nurseries to protect and eradicate fungal pathogens. However, the use of fungicides can create problems such as the alteration of natural fungal communities in the upper and lower part of the seedling, and fungicide resistance. These factors may lead to new disease problems in the nursery. Excessive use of fungicides is harmful to environment and might prevent the emergence of novel beneficial fungal species. Some foliar endo- and epimycota are known to suppress fungal diseases and protect the host from herbivoria and abiotic stress. The aim of this study was to investigate if routinely used fungicide (Tilt 250 EC propiconazole as an active ingredient) against Scleroderris canker (Gremmeniella abietina) has side-effects on the non-target foliar mycobiota as well as on the height growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) seedlings in a Finnish forest nursery. The experiment was conducted in a Finnish forest tree nursery during one growing period. Altogether 100 needles were sampled which resulted in a total of 186 fungal endophytic isolates, and 40 needles sampled resulted in a total of 86 epiphytic isolates. Endophytic isolates were further analysed and assigned to 37 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Phoma spp. were the most frequently isolated OTUs in both treatments. There were no statistically significant differences between mycota isolated from fungicide treated and control seedlings (except between epiphytes in September), however there were quantitative and qualitative differences which was mainly seen in the higher number of exclusive fungi in control seedlings. There were no statistically significant differences between the growth of fungicide treated and control seedlings but fungicide treated seedlings grew faster at the end of the growing season. These results suggests that fungicide treatment has side-effects on the non-target foliar mycobiota and the growth of Scots pine seedlings.