M. Thor et al., SENSITIVITY OF ROOT-ROT ANTAGONIST PHLEBIOPSIS-GIGANTEA SPORES TO HIGH-TEMPERATURE OR PRESSURE, Scandinavian journal of forest research, 12(4), 1997, pp. 356-361
Aqueous suspensions of Phlebiopsis gigantea oidiospores, used as a bio
logical control agent against Heterobasidion annosum, were either (1)
set under pressure, (2) warmed or (3) used in mechanized stump treatme
nt. Survival of P. gigantea following these treatments was monitored b
y estimation of oidia germination on agar medium and compared with the
germination of oidia from control suspensions. Pressure up to 2200 kP
a had no effect on the survival of P. gigantea. No effect on the survi
val was detected following incubation at ambient pressure for between
5 min and 8 h at 20 degrees C. Phlebiopsis gigantea spore germination
had an optimum at 30 degrees C. When exposed to temperatures exceeding
30 degrees C, viability of P. gigantea spores decreased with time. Du
ring mechanized stump treatment, survival of P. gigantea was not signi
ficantly lower. neither after the suspension had passed through the st
ump treatment device nor after 7 h time, compared with a fresh control
suspension. Thus, mechanized application under normal summer conditio
ns in Sweden did not obstruct the spore germination of P. gigantea in
this study.