FUNGI IN LIVING SYMPTOMLESS NEEDLES OF PINUS-SYLVESTRIS WITH RESPECT TO SOME OBSERVED DISEASE PROCESSES

The mycoflora in living symptomless needles of Pinus sylvestris was in vestigated in three 5-8 year-old plantations in Southern Poland from 1 987 to 1990. The needles from trees with symptoms of the autumn needle cast and from trees without such symptoms were treated separately. In total 960 of the current year and 720 of the previous year needles we re collected. Fungi were isolated from 80.1 % of needles and 3671 cult ures belonging to 86 fungal taxa were obtained. Seven species of fungi showed the rate of infection above 5 %: Anthostomella formosa, Lophod ermium seditiosum, Cyclaneusma minus, Cenangium ferruginosum, Lophoder mium pinastri, Sclerophoma pythiophila and Anthostomella pedemontana. The frequency of infection of needles by these species depended on nee dle age, season of the year, calendar year and site. The spread of fun gi in needles was not too high. They were found in 35.8 % of needle se ctions (isolations were made from 10,080 sections). The needle base, m iddle and top were infected with more or less similar frequency, but t he differences were considerable for the individual fungal species. An thosromella Jormosa and A. pedemontana generally occurred slightly mor e frequently on needles of trees without symptoms of the autumn needle cast, while the other four common species (Cenangium ferruginosum, Cy claneusma minus, Lophodeumium pinastri, Lophodermium seditiosum) gener ally occurred more frequently on needles of trees showing such symptom s. There were considerable differences in this respect among plantatio ns investigated.