Forest Pathology (2007) 37, 40-50

T. Kirisits, H. Konrad, E. Halmschlager, C. Stauffer, M.J. Wingfield and D.B. Chhetri (2007)
Sirococcus shoot blight on Picea spinulosa in Bhutan
Forest Pathology 37 (1), 40-50
Abstract: During a recent survey of forest tree diseases in Western and Central Bhutan, Sirococcus shoot blight and an associated Sirococcus sp. were found on saplings and mature trees of Eastern Himalayan spruce (Picea spinulosa). Based on morphological characteristics and DNA sequence comparisons of the ITS region of the rDNA operon, representative isolates from Bhutan were unequivocally identified as Sirococcus conigenus. The DNA sequence data also showed that these isolates belong to the P group of S. conigenus. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of Sirococcus shoot blight from the Himalayas or any other part of Asia. Sirococcus conigenus does not appear to cause dramatic damage at the moment, but this fungus has the potential to cause severe disease problems on P. spinulosa in Bhutan.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Thomas Kirisits, Erhard Halmschlager, Michael J. Wingfield

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution
surveys/sampling/distribution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Sirococcus conigenus	Spruce (Picea)	Bhutan