Abstract

GARCIA, Blanca  and  DIEZ, Julio. Uso del método de rodales y sistemático para evaluar daños por Sphaeropsis sapinea en pinus radiata  afectado por granizo en Bizkaia, España. Bioagro [online]. 2003, vol.15, n.1, pp.3-16. ISSN 1316-3361.

Use of two methods to assess damages caused by Sphaeropsis sapinea on Pinus radiala affected by hail in Bizkaia, Spain  Sphaeropsis sapinea is an opportunistic conifer pathogen alI over the world. This fungus infects Pinus radiata intensely following unfavourable environmental conditions such as careless pruning or drought stress, among others. This paper reports the assessment of the affected forest areas by S. sapinea after a strong hailstorm, as well as the level of infection, by establishing two methods. In the first disease assessment, which was the less objective one, the affected areas were delirnited taking the different levels of infection into account. The other evaluation consisted in assessing sorne trees in a systematic plot network placed in the affected area. By using the first method 4231 ha seemed to have been affected. Of these, 30 ha of plantation were affected with shoot and foliage damage in the highest intensity. Some 740 ha of the area affected reached an important but less high level of infection. These results are not in agreement with those found by using the systematic plot network method. ln this, 8400 ha were found to have been affected, with 504 ha very highly attacked and 3000 ha highly attacked. The first method proved to be less precise. However, it allowed a quicker and economic assessment of the whole area. On the other hand, the second method allowed to establish the precision and detail required.

Keywords : Forest pathology,; pink canker; fungal disease; dieback.