SummaryAn analysis of incidence of Phytophthora spp. in 732 European nurseries producing forest transplants, larger specimen trees, landscape plants and ornamentals, plus 2525 areas in which trees and shrubs were planted, is presented based on work conducted by 38 research groups in 23 European countries between 1972 and 2013. Forty-nine Phytophthora taxa were recorded in 670 nurseries (91.5%); within these nurseries, 1614 of 1992 nursery stands (81.0%) were infested, although most affected plants appeared healthy. In forest and landscape plantings, 56 Phytophthora taxa were recovered from 1667 of 2525 tested sites (66.0%). Affected plants frequently showed symptoms such as crown thinning, chlorosis and dieback caused by extensive fine root losses and/or collar rot. Many well-known highly damaging host-Phytophthora combinations were frequently detected but 297 and 407 new Phytophthora-host associations were also observed in nurseries and plantings, respectively. On average, 1.3 Phytophthora species/taxa per infested nursery stand and planting site were isolated. At least 47 of the 68 Phytophthora species/taxa detected in nurseries and plantings were exotic species several of which are considered well established in both nurseries and plantings in Europe. Seven known Phytophthora species/taxa were found for the first For. Path. 46 (2016) 134-163 doi: 10.1111/efp.12239 © 2015 http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/ time in Europe, while 10 taxa had not been previously recorded from nurseries or plantings; in addition, 5 taxa were first detections on woody plant species. Seven Phytophthora taxa were previously unknown to science. The reasons for these failures of plant biosecurity in Europe, implications for forest and semi-natural ecosystems and possible ways to improve biosecurity are discussed.

Dothistroma needle blight (DNB) is one of the most important diseases of pine. Although its notoriety stems from Southern Hemisphere epidemics in Pinus radiata plantations, the disease has increased in prevalence and severity in areas of the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe, during the last two decades. This increase has largely been attributed to expanded planting of susceptible hosts, anthropogenic dispersal of the causative pathogens and changes in climate conducive to disease development. The last comprehensive review of DNB was published in 2004, with updates on geographic distribution and host species in 2009. Importantly, the recognition that two species, Dothistroma septosporum and D. pini, cause DNB emerged only relatively recently in 2004. These two species are morphologically very similar, and DNA-based techniques are needed to distinguish between them. Consequently, many records of host species affected or geographic location of DNB prior to 2004 are inconclusive or even misleading. The objectives of this review were (i) to provide a new database in which detailed records of DNB from 62 countries are collated; (ii) to chart the current global distribution of D. septosporum and D. pini; (iii) to list all known host species and to consider their susceptibility globally; (iv) to collate Drenkhan et al. 410 |

Summary Dothistroma needle blight (DNB) caused by Dothistroma septosporum and Dothistroma pini is a damaging disease of pine in many countries. The disease led to the abandonment of planting susceptible Pinus species in parts of Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe and North America. Although the disease can be effectively controlled using copper fungicides, this chemical is only routinely applied in forests in New Zealand and Australia. Other management tactics aimed at making conditions less favourable for disease development, such as thinning or pruning, may be effective on some, but not all, sites. Disease avoidance, by planting non‐susceptible species, is the most common form of management in Europe, along with deployment of hosts with strong disease resistance. Although D. septosporum is present almost everywhere Pinus is grown, it is important that an effort is maintained to exclude introductions of new haplotypes that could increase virulence or enable host resistance to be overcome. A global strategy to exclude new introductions of Dothistroma and other damaging forest pathogens, facilitated by collaborative programmes and legislation, is needed.

Brown spot needle blight, caused by Lecanosticta acicola, is a serious disease of pines worldwide and has become of great concern in Europe over the last decade, with significantly increased outbreaks in pine forests. We examined native and non‐native Pinaceae taxa (four Cedrus and 24 Pinus) in the Atatürk Arboretum, Istanbul, Turkey, for the presence of L. acicola. Needles were sampled from 37 trees at least twice between March 2017 and July 2018. Symptomatic occurrence of the disease was confirmed by isolations, followed by molecular identification via sequencing of the ITS region. Lecanosticta acicola was isolated from symptomatic needles of 10 trees from seven host taxa (Cedrus and six Pinus). Molecular diagnostics of isolates confirmed the identification of L. acicola on Cedrus libani, Pinus sylvestris, P. nigra subsp. nigra, P. nigra subsp. laricio, P. nigra subsp. pallasiana, P. nigra subsp. pallasiana var. fastigiata and P. nigra subsp. pallasiana var. pallasiana f. şeneriana in the arboretum. This paper is the first report of L. acicola on C. libani and also the first report of the pathogen infecting a genus other than a Pinus spp. under natural conditions. Additionally, it is also the first report of L. acicola occurring in Turkey. The pathogen was clearly able to cause severe damage on native Turkish Pinus taxa, including P. sylvestris and P. nigra subsp. pallasiana, and endangered endemic forms of the host in Turkey.

Five-year-old seedlings of Pinus nigra, Pinus brutia, Abies nordmanniana ssp. bornmü lleriana and Cedrus libani, 3-year-old seedlings of Pinus sylvestris, and 2-year-old seedlings of Juniperus excelsa were inoculated on the lower stem with Turkish Heterobasidion abietinum and Heterobasidion annosum s.s. isolates. In total, 300 seedlings were inoculated in April 2007 with five isolates of each Heterobasidion species and incubated in a glasshouse for 12 weeks. The daily maximum temperature increased gradually from 13°C to 31°C by the end of the incubation period. Infection incidence, mortality, lesion length in the inner bark and fungal growth in the xylem were examined. For H. abietinum, infection incidence ranged from 0% to 36%, and for H. annosum s.s. from 0% to 60%. Mortality was low; only 1% of the inoculated seedlings died. Mean lesion lengths varied between 7.6 and 11.9 mm for H. abietinum and 8.0 and 15.7 for H. annosum s.s. in all species apart from C. libani, in which the corresponding values were 42.2 and 42.6 mm respectively. Similarly, mean fungal growth in sapwood of C. libani was approximately 25 mm for both Heterobasidion species, in contrast to 0-3.2 mm in the other tree species. The H. abietinum isolates were not reisolated from P. nigra, P. sylvestris or J. excelsa. The H. annosum s.s. isolates did not infect Abies seedlings. Only P. brutia and C. libani were susceptible to both pathogens. Control seedlings showed no symptoms. The results indicated that C. libani is highly susceptible to Turkish isolates of Heterobasidion.