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Controlled inoculation provides insight into western redcedar resistance to multiple root- and butt-rot pathogens

Summary

Scientists tested western redcedar trees with eight different wood-decaying fungi to understand which ones cause disease and how resistant the trees are. They used two methods to infect young trees in a greenhouse and tracked disease development over 18 months. They discovered that while some fungi caused visible damage, others caused hidden infections that still harmed tree growth even without obvious symptoms. These findings can help tree breeders develop redcedar varieties that better resist these diseases.

Background

Western redcedar is a valuable forest species in North America but suffers from high incidence of root- and butt-rot diseases causing significant economic losses. Despite demonstrating resistance to these pathogens compared to other conifers, genetic disease resistance has rarely been incorporated into redcedar breeding programs. Understanding host-pathogen interactions and resistance mechanisms is essential for sustainable forest management.

Objective

This study evaluated redcedar resistance to root- and butt-rot diseases caused by eight wood decay fungi through controlled greenhouse inoculation. The research aimed to develop and compare artificial inoculation methods and identify infection processes to facilitate integration of disease resistance into breeding programs.

Results

Five pathogens caused visible disease symptoms with incidence rates of 10-60%, while three pathogens caused no visible symptoms but were detected via molecular diagnostics in asymptomatic seedlings. Coniferiporia weirii and Poriella subacida were the most virulent, causing both wood decay and discoloration. Molecular infection severity (MIS) was significantly negatively correlated with seedling height and diameter growth, indicating latent infections impair growth even without visible symptoms.

Conclusion

The study demonstrates that western redcedar exhibits variable resistance to different decay pathogens, with latent infection being a key quantitative trait for resistance screening. The established inoculation methods and molecular diagnostics provide valuable tools for integrating disease resistance into redcedar breeding programs and improving prediction of disease outbreaks in forest management.
  • Published in:Frontiers in Plant Science,
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMID: 41164244
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