Mycosphaerella dearnessii detected again in Lithuania
In Lithuania, Mycosphaerella dearnessii (anamorph Lecanosticta acicola – EPPO A2 List) was first found in 2010 in the Curonian Lagoon near the Baltic Sea in the Klaipeda region (Western Lithuania – EPPO RS 2010/214). During the annual survey carried out by the NPPO, the presence of M. dearnessii was confirmed by morphological and PCR-based methods in 3 symptomatic samples. These samples had been collected from pine trees (Pinus sylvestris and P. mugo) in a forest near the village of Juodkrantė (again in the Curonian Lagoon, Klaipeda region). Phytosanitary measures were taken. The movement of plants from the outbreak areas is prohibited and additional measures are currently under development. Further investigations to determine the distribution of M. dearnessii in Lithuania will be carried out.
The pest status of Mycosphaerella dearnessii in Lithuania is officially declared as: Present, subject to official control.
Sources
NPPO of Lithuania (2012-11).