Anna Gunulf, Rebecka Mc Carthy, Jonas Rönnberg. (2012). Control efficacy of stump treatment and influence of stump height on natural spore infection by Heterobasidion spp. of precommercial thinning stumps of Norway spruce and birch. Silva Fennica vol. 46 no. 5 article id 917. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.917

Keywords: Picea abies; Betula spp.; precommercial thinning; stump treatment; Heterobasidion spp.; Phlebiopsis gigantea; stump height

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

An alternative precommercial thinning technique results in trees being cut higher up the stem compared to the normal method using a brush saw. The aims of this study were to investigate if primary infection of Heterobasidion spp. on precommercial thinning stumps of Norway spruce and birch is influenced by stump height and to test the control efficacy of stump treatment with Phlebiopsis gigantea on precommercial thinning stumps of Norway spruce. Small Norway spruce and birch trees were felled on five sites in southern Sweden and their stumps subjected to natural spore infection. For each species, two treatments of stump height were created: 15 and 100 cm. Half of the Norway spruce stumps were treated with P. gigantea. After two months, 896 stumps were sampled and infection by Heterobasidion spp. was quantified. The height of stumps did not significantly influence infection frequency or size of infection on either tree species. Untreated Norway spruce stumps had an infection frequency of 55% while 31% of the treated stumps were infected. The control efficacy of stump treatment in terms of reduced relative infected area was 61–65%. The area occupied by Heterobasidion spp. on birch stumps was generally small, on average 0.4 cm2 per infected stump, although 15% of the stumps were infected. The risk of primary infection in Norway spruce dominated stands should be considered when precommercial thinning is conducted but the control efficacy and economy of stump treatment warrants further investigation before practical recommendations can be made.

Gunulf, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, P.O. Box 49, SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden E-mail: anna.gunulf@slu.se
Mc Carthy, Skogsforsk, Ekebo 2250, SE-268 90 Svalöv, Sweden E-mail: Rebecka.McCarthy@skogforsk.se
Rönnberg, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, P.O. Box 49, SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden E-mail: jonas.ronnberg@slu.se

Click this link to register to Silva Fennica.

If you are a registered user, log in to save your selected articles for later access.

Contents alert

Your selected articles
Send to email

Niemistö P., Korpunen H. et al. (2012) Impact and productivity of harvesting while reta.. Silva Fennica vol. 46 no. 1 article id 67 (remove) | Edit comment

Kankaanhuhta V., Saksa T. et al. (2009) Variation in the results of Norway spruce planti.. Silva Fennica vol. 43 no. 1 article id 217 (remove) | Edit comment

Hagfors E. A. M., (1929) Paper on essence of forestry Acta Forestalia Fennica vol. 34 no. 36 article id 7249 (remove) | Edit comment

Gyllenberg H., Hanioja P. et al. (1954) Observations on the composition of the microbial.. Acta Forestalia Fennica vol. 62 no. 2 article id 7451 (remove) | Edit comment

Lappi J., (1983) Elevation of the time factor in reforestation de.. Silva Fennica vol. 17 no. 3 article id 5191 (remove) | Edit comment

Penttinen M., Kinnunen M. (1992) Profitability of forestry in jointly-owned fores.. Silva Fennica vol. 26 no. 4 article id 5489 (remove) | Edit comment

Lehto J., (1956) Studies on the natural regeneration of Scots pin.. Acta Forestalia Fennica vol. 66 no. 2 article id 7472 (remove) | Edit comment

Finér L., (1991) Effect of fertilization on dry mass accumulation.. Acta Forestalia Fennica vol. 0 no. 223 article id 7669 (remove) | Edit comment

Pukkala T., (1988) Methods to incorporate the amenity of landscape .. Silva Fennica vol. 22 no. 2 article id 5346 (remove) | Edit comment

Makkonen O., (1954) The principle of comparative time studies in for.. Acta Forestalia Fennica vol. 61 no. 14 article id 7426 (remove) | Edit comment

Honkanen A., (1994) Selection of Salix myrsinifolia clones for bioma.. Silva Fennica vol. 28 no. 3 article id 5532 (remove) | Edit comment

Makkonen O., (1967) Attempts to unify the classification of forest t.. Silva Fennica vol. 1 no. 2 article id 4743 (remove) | Edit comment

Lehtonen I., (1978) Nutrient cycle in a Scots pine stand: IV The amo.. Silva Fennica vol. 12 no. 1 article id 4988 (remove) | Edit comment

Heikurainen L., Laine J. et al. (1983) Fertilization and ditch spacing experiments conc.. Silva Fennica vol. 17 no. 4 article id 5198 (remove) | Edit comment

Puukko K., (1981) The southern border of the present distribution .. Silva Fennica vol. 15 no. 2 article id 5119 (remove) | Edit comment

Follow @SilvaFennica