Pathogenicity of H eterobasidion annosum ( F r.) B ref. sensu stricto on coniferous tree species in T urkey

Two‐year‐old seedlings of P inus brutia, P . brutia var. eldarica , P inus pinea and 3‐year‐old seedlings of P inus radiata, P inus sylvestris, P inus nigra and C edrus libani were inoculated on the lower stem with isolates of H eterobasidion annosum s.s. collected from the B lack S ea and M editerranean regions of T urkey. In total, 315 seedlings were inoculated in A pril 2014 and incubated in a growth chamber for 7 weeks at 18–20°C. All isolates were pathogenic on the seven different hosts and had the ability to grow in living sapwood. The isolates had a greater growth on C . libani , P . sylvestris and P . radiata seedlings compared to plants of the other species tested. The least affected species were P . brutia and P . nigra . The isolates originating from the B lack S ea region caused longer lesions on the hosts. Overall mortality during 7 weeks of incubation was 4%.