The pitch canker pathogen Fusarium circinatum was first found to cause damage in nurseries and pine plantations in northern Spain in 2004. Since then, establishment of pine plantations in the region has decreased as a result of the prohibitions placed on planting Pinus spp. and Pseudotsuga menziesii in areas affected by the disease. However, although most pine species have been found to be susceptible to the pathogen under nursery conditions, little is known about how the fungus affects the trees in the field. Furthermore, it is not known whether some of the native or exotic species commonly planted in the area are also susceptible to F. circinatum. The aim of this study was to evaluate the susceptibility of several conifer species commonly planted in northern Spain to the pitch canker pathogen. For this purpose, two different trials were carried out, one under controlled laboratory conditions and the other in the field. Although most of the conifers were affected by the pathogen in the laboratory tests, only Pinus radiata, Pinus nigra, Pinus pinaster and Pinus uncinata were susceptible to the pathogen in the field.

Fusarium circinatum, a fungus that causes pitch canker disease, has been present in Europe since at least 2003, when it was detected in northern Spain and found to be producing severe damage in tree nurseries and pine plantations. In this study, we tested a method of biological control of the disease with Trichoderma viride, a fungal species successfully used against many other pathogens. In vitro and in vivo assays were carried out to test the efficacy of this antagonist in controlling F. circinatum. The T. viride isolate exerted a significant effect on the growth of F. circinatum in the in vitro assay, reducing the length of the pathogen colony by half. However, although we tested three different concentrations of the T. viride spore solution, no clear conclusions were obtained with regard to the effects on the Pinus radiata seedlings. To our knowledge, this is the first study carried out with the aim of using Trichoderma spp. to control pitch canker disease.

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Fusarium circinatum is a highly virulent invasive pathogen that causes the disease commonly known as pine pitch canker (PPC). On mature trees, the most common symptoms of PPC include resin bleeding, resinous cankers, wilting of needles and dieback. In nurseries the main symptoms are yellowish needles, and wilting of foliage and shoots. PPC is considered one of the most important diseases of conifers globally and at least 60 species of Pinus along with Pseudotsuga menziesii are known to be susceptible. Quarantine regulations are crucial to minimize the risk of new introductions into disease‐free countries. However, if these measures fail, implementation of environmentally friendly control methods is currently encouraged in an integrated management approach that minimizes the use of chemicals in forests. This review therefore summarizes current knowledge of biological control using endophytic fungi, bacteria and viruses, and other environmentally friendly methods to control PPC, including thermotherapy, natural products with fungicidal effects, promoters of innate host resistance mechanisms and breeding for resistance. Key research gaps to be addressed for improvement of effective management of this disease are discussed.