INCIDENCE OF CHIR PINE (PINUS ROXBURGHII) NURSERY DISEASES IN MURREE HILLS AND THEIR IN VITRO MANAGEMENT

Abstract

In the present study, incidence of diseases of Chir pine plants grown in various nurseries located at Lakot, Ghora Gali and Tret (Murree) was determined during June, 2014 survey on the basis of symptoms and association of various fungi was confirmed by performing pathogenicity tests. The survey revealed that Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) plants were suffering from post-emergence damping off (root rot) and needle blight. Highest disease incidence of root rot (15%) was found in Tret nursery and lowest at forest nursery, Ghora Gali (6%) while of needle blight was 9% and 13% at forest nursery and Forest Research Institute Faisalabad Nursery, respectively. Isolation and identification revealed the presence of four fungi viz., Fusarium spp, Pestalotiopsis spp, Botryodiplodia spp and Rhizoctonia spp. Fusarium spp and Rhizoctonia spp have been reported causing considerable economic losses to other agricultural plants in Pakistan but not reported from forest plants before. This study is first of its kind regarding determination of incidence of chir pine nursery diseases and their in vitro management and calls for adoption of some precautionary measures to manage the diseases especially damping off/root rot.