ECOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF THE CAUSATIVE AGENT OF PINE-LEAF CAST OF SCOTCH PINE (PINUS SYLVESTRIS L.) UNDER CONDITIONS OF ZHYTOMYR POLISSYA FORESTS

Abstract

This article highlights the important questions of preservation of Scotch pine on a qualitative and productive basis. It is being noted that the susceptibility of Scotch pine trees to pine-leaf cast in different areas of Zhytomyr region has increased during recent years. The importance of Scotch pine as a conifer, as well as its therapeutic, recreational and resource role in modern forest biocenoses of the region promts us to urgent and effective solution to the problem of mass drying up. We should take into account the spread of concomitant diseases in biocenoses. The paper presents the biological characteristics of pine-leaf cast that affects the Scotch pine in the process of germinating and growing seedlings. The pine trees in five districts of the region have been screened and the scoring scale of the damage caused by the causative agent has been modified. It is noted that in some local territories of natural biocenoses the number of trees affected by the disease ranges from 15 to 30 %. It has been investigated that pine-leaf cast causes significant inhibition of Scotch pine trees that leads to rapid development of pine fungus and honey mushrooms on the damaged trees and their remains. The analysis of the research results makes it possible to assert that the causative agent of the disease is more widely spread under conditions of high humidity and high air temperature. The screening of the disease spread to the Scotch pine makes it possible to assert that the percentage of pine trees infected by the pine-leaf cast increases with the closeness of young pine plantations. This process gains the intensity after 10–15 years of tree growth. Our further research will focus on the study of pathological processes in the Scots pine trees in the Polissya. It will be based on broad-side methodological approaches to the study of different types of microscopic fungi, bacteria, viruses and nematodes. The latter are known to be the pathogens transfer vectors of different taxonomic groups. In the course of such studies one should pay attention to the complex state of the soil on which the Scotch pine is grown: its concentration with heavy metals, toxic waste, radiation contamination. The work proposes a number of preventive measures to combat pine-leaf cast based on traditional and new technologies. The latter are based on the use of bioorganic compositions based on polysaccharides, fungi («Bioecofunge» – development of the Department of Plant Physiology, Biochemistry and Bioenergetics, NUBiP).

Keywords

• scotch pine
• pine-leaf cast
• preventive treatment
• ecology
• pathology