CHESTNUT BLIGHT” INFECTION ON OAKS IN THE CARPATHIAN-BASIN

Cryphonectria parasitica(Murr.) Barr [syn:Endothia parasitica(Murr.) And.] fungus caused big damages of the chestnut stands throughout the World. In 1969, symptoms of the disease were reported first on chestnut in the Carpathian-Basin, in Hungary. Until 1998, the fungus was only detected on chestnut there. Then blight symptoms were also detected on some young sessile oak (Quercus petraea) trees in South-Transdanubie (Hungary) and later in Slovakia. Main goals of our studies were field investigations of oaks in different regions of the Carpathian-Basin (in Romania, in Ukraine, in Slovakia and in Hungary) to detect the symptoms of the blight fungus. During our examinations, blight symptoms on oaks were identified on three Hungarian sites. Infected oak trees with bark necrosis were also found near Baia Mare, Romania and in Slovakia near Duchonka. Blighted oak trees were not yet found in Ukraine so far. Four fungal strains were identified from bark samples of infected oaks (EU-3, EU-16, EU-9 and EU-11) in Hungary. Only one strain (EU-2) was identified in the Slovakian site and also one fungal strain (EU-12) was identified in Romania from oak bark samples. Until now,C. parasiticahave not caused so serious destruction on oaks as on chestnut trees in the Carpathian-basin, but it could be a more serious parasite for our forests in the future.