Outbreak of Lecanosticta acicola in Tyrol, Austria
In Austria, the presence of Lecanosticta acicola (teleomorph Mycosphaerella dearnessii – EPPO A2 List) was detected for the first time in 1996 (EPPO RS 99/135) on Pinus mugo subsp. mugo in 1 locality in Niederösterreich. Between 2009 and 2011, small outbreaks of the disease were found in other localities in the länder of Niederösterreich, Oberösterreich, Steiemark, Vorarlberg, Tyrol and Salzburg on several pine species (Pinus mugo subsp. mugo, Pinus mugo subsp. uncinata, Pinus sylvestris and P. nigra – EPPO RS 2012/241). In 2015, an extensive outbreak was detected in forest stands in Tyrol near the border with Germany (Bayern). The outbreak area corresponds to a dry site, heavily frequented by the public (railway, roads) where pine trees, especially P. mugo, are predominant. In early summer 2015 and during the annual forestry survey, a first P. mugo plant showing suspicious symptoms was tested and found to be infected by L. acicola. This initial finding was confirmed by another laboratory and followed by additional sampling and testing at the outbreak site. As a result, L. acicola was detected on an area covering more than 60 ha of forest, mainly in Pinus mugo (P. mugo subsp. mugo and P. mugo subsp. uncinata) and to a lesser extent in P. sylvestris.
The pest status of Lecanosticta acicola in Austria is officially declared as: Present in some parts of the area where host crops are grown; under surveillance.
Sources
NPPO of Austria (2015-10).