Further details on the situation of Mycosphaerella dearnessii in Slovenia
Mycosphaerella dearnessii (anamorph Lecanosticta acicola - EPPO A2 List) has recently been detected in Slovenia (EPPO RS 2008/140). In June 2008, a symptomatic pine tree (Pinus sylvestris) was found in a public park near Lake Bled in the northern part of the country. One year-old needles from the lower part of the plant were dead, whereas needles of the current year were still healthy. Black conidiomata were found on both sides of the needles which had turned into a brown to grey colour. Samples of symptomatic needles (1 year-old needles) were collected and laboratory analysis following the EPPO Standard PM 7/46 confirmed that the disease symptoms and morphological characteristics of all observed fungal structures corresponded to Lecanosticta acicola, anamorph of M. dearnessii.
The pest status of Mycosphaerella dearnessii in Slovenia is officially declared as: Transient, actionable, under eradication.
Sources
NPPO of Slovenia, 2009-01.
OEPP/EPPO (2008) EPPO Standards. PM 7/46(2) Diagnostics. Mycosphaerella dearnessii and Mycosphaerella pini. Bulletin OEPP/EPPO Bulletin 38(3), 349-362. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2338.2008.01246.x