The association and transmission of Leptographium procerum (Kendr.) wing., by root feeding insects in Christmas tree plantations

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dc.contributor.authorNevill, Ralph John Leslieen
dc.contributor.committeechairAlexander, S.A.en
dc.contributor.committeememberWeidhaas Jr., J.A.en
dc.contributor.committeememberGriffin, Gary J.en
dc.contributor.committeememberPienkowski, R.L.en
dc.contributor.committeememberScrivani, John A.en
dc.contributor.departmentPlant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Scienceen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T21:20:50Zen
dc.date.adate2005-10-12en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T21:20:50Zen
dc.date.issued1990en
dc.date.rdate2005-10-12en
dc.date.sdate2005-10-12en
dc.description.abstractProcerum root disease (PRD), caused by Leptographium procerum (Kendr.) Wingf., is the most serious problem facing Christmas tree growers of eastern white pine, (Pinus strobus L.). Limited studies have shown an association between PRD affected trees and insect infestations, and L. procerum has been recovered from field collected insects. The objectives of this study were to demonstrate the association of L. procerum with the life cycle of potential insect vectors and determine if the insect associates could transmit the fungus to healthy trees. To study the association of PRD with potential insect vectors, PRD symptomatic trees from 4 Christmas tree plantations were excavated and examined monthly, June - September in 1988 and 1989, and April - September 1990. Potential insect vectors were collected weekly in baited pit-fall traps placed in: 1) paired plots placed in asymptomatic and symptomatic areas of PRD symptomatic plantations, 2) plots in plantations where PRD was absent, 3) plots in the headlands of plantations, 4) plots in forested areas and 5) one plot in an urban setting. Trees in the plots were also inspected for evidence of weevil feeding and for development of PRD. Larvae of two weevil species, Hylobius pales (Herbst.) and Pissodes nemorensis Germ., were recovered from 52, 42, and 43% of PRD symptomatic eastern white pine in 1988, 1989, and 1990, respectively. Hylobius pales and P. nemorensis contaminated with L. procerum were recovered from all plots. The proportion of H. pales contaminated with L. procerum was 73.0% in 1988, 86.5% in 1989 and 72.9% in 1990 while the proportion of P. nemorensis contaminated with the fungus was 17.8, 21.2 and 14.2% in 1988, 1989 and 1990, respectively. Over the three year period of the study, the proportion of PRD infected trees in the symptomatic paired plots rose from 3.6 to 29%. None of the trees in the asymptomatic plots became symptomatic. Transmission of L. procerum was determined by caging field collected and artificially infested H. pales and P. nemorensis on eastern white pine seedlings for 24 hours. To determine if transmission of the fungus during oviposition leads to contamination of the brood,field collected H. pales adults were allowed to feed and oviposit on fresh white pineee bolts. Feeding by artificially infested H. pales adults resulted in transmission of L. procerum 90 and 98% of eastern white pine seedlings in 1989 and 1990, respectively. Field collected H. pales adults transmitted the fungus to 58 and 68% of seedlings in 1989 and 1990, respectively. Artificially infested and field collected P. nemorensis adults transmitted L. procerum to 100 and 28% of the seedlings respectively. All bolts oviposited on by field collected H. pales became colonized by L. procerum and 100% of the weevils that emerged from them were contaminated with the fungus. The results from this study confirms the rules for insect transmission of a plant pathogen.en
dc.description.degreePh. D.en
dc.format.extentix, 109 leavesen
dc.format.mediumBTDen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.otheretd-10122005-134421en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-10122005-134421/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/39763en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartLD5655.V856_1990.N485.pdfen
dc.relation.isformatofOCLC# 23734912en
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subject.lccLD5655.V856 1990.N485en
dc.subject.lcshChristmas tree growingen
dc.subject.lcshPhytopathogenic fungi -- Host plantsen
dc.titleThe association and transmission of Leptographium procerum (Kendr.) wing., by root feeding insects in Christmas tree plantationsen
dc.typeDissertationen
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
thesis.degree.disciplinePlant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Scienceen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen
thesis.degree.namePh. D.en

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