Fusarium spp. and Pinus strobus seedlings: Root disease pathogens and taxa associated with seed

Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) seeds were sown in soil infested with Fusarium proliferatum, root necrosis developed on seedling roots, and F. proliferatum was reisolated from symptomatic roots; thus, demonstrating that F. proliferatum is pathogenic to eastern white pine seedlings. Soils infested with F. acuminatum or F. sporotrichioides resulted in few diseased seedlings. Seedlings with root rot generally showed reductions in seedling height. All Fusarium species tested were recovered from rhizosphere soil samples. Three seedlots of Pinus strobus were examined for Fusarium infestation. Fusarium species were recovered from most seeds in two seedlots. Fusarium proliferatum and F. sporotrichioides were the predominant species isolated. Additional species not previously reported from P. strobus included: F. acuminatum, F. chlamydosporum, F. equiseti, F. graminearum, F. moniliforme, F. poae, F. polyphialidicum, F. heterosporum, F. sambucinum, and F. semitectum.