Fungal biodiversity in rhizosphere of healthy and needle  
cast- affected Scots pine transplants 

Małgorzata Mańka

Department of Forest Pathology, the august Cieszkowski agricultural University 
Wojska Polskiego 71c, PL-60-625 Poznań, mmanka@au.poznan.pl

M a ń k a  M.: Fungal biodiversity in rhizosphere of healthy and needle cast-affected Scots pine 
transplants. acta Mycol. 42 (2): 199-202, 2007.

Healthy Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) transplants had in rhizosphere a community 
of saprotrophic fungi which considerably suppressed the growth of severe root pathogens 
Heterobasidion annosum and Armillaria obscura. a community from transplants affected by 
needle cast (Lophodermium spp.) suppressed both pathogens to a much smaller extent.

Key words: Scots pine, rhizosphere fungi, needle-cast, Heterobasidion, Armillaria 

IntroDUCtIon

Fungi in the soil environment of host-plant may reflect the probable effect of 
the environment they derive from, on a pathogen’s activity towards its host-plant 
(M a ń k a  k. 1990). Communities of fungi from rhizosphere of Scots pine (Pinus 
sylvestris L.) transplants can effect growth of root pathogenic fungi in various ways, 
depending on year, season of the year and transplant’s age (M a ń k a  k. et al. 1993; 
M a ń k a  M. 1995b).

the aim of the work was to investigate the influence of needle cast attack on 
Scots pine transplants rhizosphere fungi communities, and on the communities’ ef-
fect on growth of severe root pathogens Heterobasidion annosum (Fr.) Bref. and 
Armillaria obscura (Schaeff.) Herink. 

MaterIaLS anD MetHoDS

In konstantynowo forest nursery (near Poznań) 2-year-old Scots pine (P. sylves-
tris) transplants (sown in april 1992, on deep sandy forest soil) grew in two groups: 
well developed healthy ones, and poorly developed needle cast-affected (Lophoder-
mium spp.) ones. on april 18, 1994, rhizosphere soil from both groups was sampled 
by shaking off (M a ń k a  k., M a ń k a  M. 1993) and communities of soil fungi were 
isolated according to Warcup’s soil plate method modified by k. Mańka (Wa r c u p 

 aCta MYCoLogICa
 Vol. 42 (2): 199-202
 2007

Dedicated to Professor Alina Skirgiełło 
on the occasion of her ninety-fifth birthday



200 M. Mańka 

1950; M a ń k a  k. 1964; J o h n s o n ,  M a ń k a  k. 1961; M a ń k a  k., S a l m a n o w i c z 
1987). the 2 communities (with specific structure and function) were considered 
characteristic of the rhizosphere soils investigated. Both communities were tested 
for their effect on growth of H. annosum type P and A. obscura with the biotic series 
method by k. Mańka (M a ń k a  k. 1974; M a ń k a  k., M a ń k a  M. 1992; M a ń k a  M. 
1995a). the test was performed on PDa for H. annosum (biotic effect estimated after 
10 days) and on malt agar for A. obscura (biotic effect estimated after 20 days). 

the biotic test resulted in describing the phytopathological function of both com-
munities. the  function is expressed by summary biotic effect (SBe), i.e. the effect 
of the entire soil fungi community on the pathogen’s growth. the SBe results from 
summarizing all the general biotic effects (gBe = an effect of all the isolates of a 
species on the pathogen’s growth). a gBe results from multiplying frequency of the 
species by individual biotic effect (IBe) value, that is the effect of one isolate of the 
given species on the pathogen’s growth. 

any of the biotic effects may be positive (indicating suppressive effect on the 
pathogen’s growth), negative (indicating supporting effect on the pathogen’s growth) 
or neutral (“0”). Intensity of the supporting/suppressing effect is described by the 
absolute value of the effect.

reSULtS anD DISCUSSIon

the fungal community from healthy transplants was more numerous (by 28%, 
tabs 1 and 2) than the community from the needle cast-affected ones. the species 
composition was not very different. the most remarkable difference was to be seen 
in Trichoderma spp. – there were all together 41 isolates of T. koningii and T. longi-
brachiatum in the community from healthy transplants, and only 8 isolates of T. viride 
in the community from diseased ones (tabs 1 and 2). 

an interesting phenomenon was observed: representatives of the same species 
happened to behave variously, with respect to a pathogen, depending on from what 
community they derived. their individual biotic effect (IBe) supported the patho-
gen to a greater extent, when they were isolated from diseased plant rhizosphere. 
It was most evident in Coniothyrium fuckelii, which had a very suppressing effect on 
H. annosum when isolated from healthy pine rhizosphere (IBe +10, tab. 1), and 
a slightly supporting effect when isolated from diseased pine rhisosphere (IBe -2, 
tab. 2). the same was true for Umbelopsis vinacea with IBe -2 and -5, and Fusarium 
oxysporum with IBe +3 and 0, when derived from healthy and diseased plants, re-
spectively. 

all the summary biotic effects (SBe) exerted by the rhizosphere fungi communi-
ties on both pathogens were positive, which means that the growth of both pathogens 
was suppressed by both communities. the suppression of H. annosum was much big-
ger in rhizosphere of healthy pine seedlings (SBe +1342, tab. 1) than of diseased 
seedlings (SBe +236, tab. 2). 

the situation was similar with respect to A. obscura – the rhizosphere fungi com-
munity from healthy pine seedlings had SBe +721 (tab. 1), and from diseased ones 
– SBe +443 (tab. 2). this may mean that the needle cast contributed not only to 
worse development of Scots pine transplants but also to formation in their rhizo-
sphere of a fungal community that could suppress both pathogens in question to a 



 Fungal biodiversity 201

smaller extent, than the fungal community in the rhizosphere of healthy transplants. 
It seems that the needle cast, being a disease of the over ground part of the plant, 
may considerably influence biotic relations in soil. 

ta b l e  1 
Biotic effect of rhizosphere fungi communities from healthy 2-year-old  

Scots pine transplants on the growth of Heterobasidion annosum and Armillaria obscura

Species of fungi Fre-quency

Biotic effects on
Heterobasidion 

annosum Armillaria obscura 
IBe gBe IBe gBe

Umbelopsis vinacea (Dixon-Stew.) arx 59 -2 -118 +2 +118
Paecilomyces marquandii (Masee) Hug. 52 +6 +312 +1 +52
Coniothyrium fuckelii Sacc. 48 +10 +480 0 0
Trichoderma koningii oudem. 36 +8 +288 +8 +288
Penicillium daleae zaleski 26 +3 +78 +1 +26
Penicillium sp. 1 21 +6 +126 +4 +84
Truncatella truncata (Lév.) Steyaert 15 0 0 +4 +60
Penicillium steckii zaleski 7 +13 +91 0 0
Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. 7 +3 +21 +4 +28
Trichoderma longibrachiatum rifai 5 +8 +40 +8 +40
Chaetomium aureum Chivers 5 +3 +15 +3 +15
Penicillium brevicompactum Dierckx 3 +1 +3 0 0
Dematiaceae sp. 1 2 -4 -8 +1 +2
Zygorhynchus moellerii Vuill. 2 +7 +14 +4 +8
Summary biotic effect 288 +1342 +721

explanations: IBe - individual biotic effect; gBe - general biotic effect; SBe - summary biotic effect.

ta b l e  2 
Biotic effect of rhizosphere fungi communities from needle cast-affected 2-year-old Scots 

pine transplants on the growth of Heterobasidion annosum and Armillaria obscura

Species of fungi Fre-quency

Biotic effects on
Heterobasidion 

annosum
Armillaria obscura

IBe gBe IBe gBe
Coniothyrium fuckelii Sacc. 55 -2 -110 0 0
Penicillium sp. 2 34 +12 +408 -1 -34
Umbelopsis vinacea (Dixon-Stew.) arx 33 -5 -165 0 0
Penicillium sp. 3 31 0 0 +6 +186
Chaetomium aureum Chivers 17 0 0 +4 +68
Truncatella truncata (Lév.) Steyaert 15 -1 -15 +4 +60
Penicillium nigricans Bainier ex thom 9 +4 +36 +5 +45
Chaetomium globosum kunze ex Steud. 8 +2 +16 0 0
Trichoderma  viride Pers. ex gray 8 +8 +64 +7 +56
Penicillium sp. 4 5 -5 -25 +6 +30
Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. 5 0 0 +4 +20
Zygorhynchus moellerii Vuill. 3 +7 +21 +5 +15
Penicillium verruculosum Dierckx 2 +3 +6 -1 -3
Summary biotic effect 225 +236 +443

Legend - see tab. 1



202 M. Mańka 

ConCLUSIon

the Scots pine transplants affected by needle cast should not be used for estab-
lishing plantations not only because of their poor development and poor growth 
prospects (which is obvious), but also because they are not able to resist soil-borne 
pathogenic fungi to an extent comparable to healthy transplants. 

reFerenCeS

J o h n s o n  L. F., M a ń k a  k. 1961. a modification of Warcup’s soil plate method for isolating soil fungi. 
Soil Science 2: 79–83.

M a ń k a  k. 1964. Próby dalszego udoskonalenia zmodyfikowanej metody Warcupa izolowania grzybów z 
gleby. PtPn, Prace kom. nauk rol. i kom. nauk Leś. 17: 29–43.

M a ń k a  k. 1974. zbiorowiska grzybów jako kryterium oceny wpływu środowiska na choroby roślin. zesz. 
Probl. Post. nauk rol. 160: 9–23.

M a ń k a  k. 1990. Saprofityczna mikoflora środowiska glebowego a zdrowotność roślin. Phytopathol. Pol. 
11: 122–133.

M a ń k a  k., S a l m a n o w i c z  B. 1987. Udoskonalenie niektórych technik zmodyfikowanej metody płytek 
glebowych do izolowania grzybów z gleby z punktu widzenia potrzeb mikologii fitopatologicznej. 
rocz. nauk rol., Seria e 17 (1): 35–46.

M a ń k a  k., M a ń k a  M. 1992. a new method for evaluating interaction between soil inhabiting fungi 
and plant pathogens. IoBC/WPrS Bulletin 15 (1): 73–75.

M a ń k a  k., M a ń k a  M. 1993. o metodzie izolacji grzybów z ryzosfery drzew leśnych. Materiały z IV 
konferencji Sekcji Biologicznych Metod ochrony roślin przed Chorobami, 22-23 04 1993, PtFit., 
Skierniewice: 3–7.

M a ń k a  k., M a ń k a  M., k w a ś n a  H., ł a k o m y  P., B a b k i e w i c z  M. 1993. zagrożenie sadzonek 
drzew leśnych przez patogeny korzeni a zbiorowiska grzybów ryzosferowych. Materiały z IV kon-
ferencji Sekcji Biologicznych Metod ochrony roślin przed Chorobami, 22-23.04.1993, PtFit., Ski-
erniewice: 7–13.

M a ń k a  M. 1995 a. non-pathogenic soil fungi reflecting soil environment. (In:) M. M a ń k a  (ed.). 
environmental Biotic Factors In Integrated Plant Disease Control, Proceedings of 3rd Conference 
of european Foundation for Plant Pathology, September 5-9, 1994, Poznań: 27–36.

M a ń k a  M. 1995 b. effect of rhizosphere fungi communities from Scots pine and birch transplants on 
growth of root pathogenic fungi. (In:) L.B. o r l i k o w s k i , Cz. S k r z y p c z a k  (eds). Biological control 
of soil-borne and postharvest pathogens. the Polish Phytopathological Society, Section of Biological 
Control of Plant Diseases, research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture, Skierniewice: 61–64.

Wa r c u p  J. H. 1950. the soil plate method for isolation of fungi from soil. nature 166: 117–118.

Bioróżnorodność grzybów z ryzosfery zdrowych i porażonych przez osutkę  
sadzonek sosny zwyczajnej 

S t r e s z c z e n i e

Porównano zbiorowiska grzybów ryzosferowych dwuletnich sadzonek sosny zwyczajnej: 
zdrowych i dorodnych oraz niewyrośniętych, porażonych przez osutkę (Lophodermium spp.). 
zbiorowisko grzybów ze zdrowych sadzonek sosny ograniczało wzrost patogenów korzeni He-
terobasidion annosum i Armillaria obscura znaczniej bardziej niż zbiorowisko z porażonych 
przez osutkę sadzonek. 

Sadzonki porażone przez osutkę nie nadają się do wysadzania na uprawy leśne nie tylko 
ze względu na zahamowanie wzrostu i ograniczony przez chorobę aparat asymilacyjny, ale 
również z powodu tego, że ich zbiorowiska grzybów ryzosferowych nie są w stanie ograniczyć 
wzrostu patogenów obecnych w glebie leśnej w takim stopniu, jak zbiorowiska ryzosferowe 
zdrowych sadzonek.


		2014-01-01T11:46:14+0100
	Polish Botanical Society