Controlling and Predicting the Spread of Heterobasidion annosum from Infected Stumps and Trees of Picea abies

Two Norway spruce stands with heavy infections of Heterobasidion annosum were clearcut in 1957 and 1959 in Sweden. The stumps were extracted, the soil sifted to remove most of the roots, and young Norway spruce were planted. After 25 and 28 years, H. annosum had infected 1% and 2% of trees on plots where stumps had been removed and 17% and 12% of the trees on control plots, respectively. Several of the H. annosum clones fruiting on old-growth stumps were also detected in decayed, standing trees. The same fungal clone was found to be infecting adjacent trees from several old-growth stumps. In addition to old stumps, stumps from recent thinnings and diseased living trees were traced as infection sources. Their relative importance in spreading disease was estimated. Disease risk predictions based on the distance of a tree from various infection sources correlated well with observed frequencies of rot.