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A Sessional Report on Mycology, Forest Pathology &

Forest Protection

Introduction:
Forestry is biological science and plant pathology is a useful part of forestry. Only the
theoretical knowledge about plant pathology is not enough to acquire the proper object.
Without direct observation nobody can learn about it. For this purpose, Sessional class and
study tour are very essential for us. In Sessional class we learn how a matter is happened
which is already learnt from theoretical class. Without field tour nobody can observe the
happenings in the nature. Pests and diseases are common in trees and shrubs. In some cases,
it is so severe that the whole ecosystem is jeopardized. Attempts are being made to control
these problems. So a Sessional tour is arranged by our honorable course teacher Md.
Kamruzzaman in Chittagong BFRI at 18th May, 2008.

Objectives of the tour:


 To acquire knowledge about the pests and diseases of different plant species.
 To know about the symptoms, casual organism and their preventive measure of
different disease affected species.
 To observe the diseases of different species caused by fungus and insects.

Description of the tour


Our honorable teacher Md. Kamruzzaman showed us the condition of different types of
diseases on the way. Then they took part in short discussion about the diseases of different
species, their symptoms, casual organism and their preventive measures.

Field Work Description

Pest and Diseases of different plant species

Disease: Leaf spot.

Leafs having localized area of diseased or discolored tissues. Some times dead portions
of may fall of giving appearance hot is known as shot note.

Host: Dalbergia sissoo, Artocarpus heterophyllus

Pathogen
Several pathogens were found responsible for causing leaf spot of Dalbergia sissoo.
Causal organisms are; Cercospora sissoo Syd, Colletogloeum sissoo, phylllachora
Dalbergiae Niessl. Phyllachora spissa Syd.

Symptoms
Cercospora sissoo attacks leaves mostly on the lower surface, producing yellowish to
grayish green discoloration. Colletogloeum sissoo cause imperceptible sports on sissoo
leaves. It is similar to Cercospora sissoo from which it differs only its size and number of
septation of condia. phylllachora Dalbergiae causing leaf spot I sissoo and its attacks the
upper leaf surface and produces shining black cushion like stomata which may occur
scattered of in clusters. Phyllachora spissa attack the leaf and forms densely aggregated dot
like dark stomata on irregular brownish infection.

Control
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A Sessional Report on Mycology, Forest Pathology &
Forest Protection

Spray with fermate solution of 2lbs/100 gallons of water is quicte effective to control the
disease caused by Cercospora sissoo, Colletogloeum sissoo.
Disease: Leaf Blight

A general term to describe the shriveling and death of some or all of the foliage and
young shoots of a plant.

Host: Dalbergia sissoo, mangifera indica.

Fig- Leaf Blight

Pathogen
Rhizoctonia leaf web blight of Dalbergia sissoo caused by Rhizocctonia solani and amorpha
of Tiamatephorus cucumeris. Another fungus named Alternaria alternate causes leaf blight
on Dalbergia sissoo.

Symptoms
The disease first appears on leaf close to the ground as water soaked grayish-brown
blotches, which increase in size with the advancing fungal hyphye, and ultimately the fungus
invades the entire leaf blade. The leaf lets show stomatoid aggregates on under surface and
eventually turns brown. The infected adjoining leaf lets often join together by the fungal
hyphae as if caught in a spider’s web hence the main of web blight.

Control
The disease can be effectively managed through sanitation, within and foliar application
of Bayleton 0.1% at 14thly intervals. Two or three application of the fungicides provides
protection to the seedlings against the disease. The best control is by 0.2% Dithane M-45 and
phenolmercry acetate, which both eliminated both the disease.

Disease: Canker

Canker may be localized death of stem tissues with a sunken dead center and raised
margin. Canker may be annual or may persist for several years.

Host: Kanthal.

Pathogen: Nectrai haentatococca.


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A Sessional Report on Mycology, Forest Pathology &
Forest Protection

Symptom
The canker on jackfruit trees strat as blackening of barck generally at the bases of small
dead branchlets. The dead area gradually expands and this is followed by light brown
discoloration and death of sap wood underneath. As the tree increases in girth, the canker
affected portion fails to add any new growth, and a depression usually develops. On the bark
of the dead area small, rounded, reddish-yellow fruit bodies of Nectrai haentatococca
develops profusely during the moon soon.

Control
• Naturally canker may be controlled through callus tissue formation. And the callus
tissue comes from the cambium tissue of the bark.
• Fungal attack on the surface of the canker can be controlled by using fungiside.

Disease: Wilt Disease

Wilting is characterized by loss of turgidity and collapse of leaves.

Host: Dalbergia sissoo.

Pathogen: Fusarium solani, Fusarium dalbergiae

Fig: Agaricas

Symptoms
1. Yellowing and dying of leaves in acropetal succession in older trees.
2. The leaf drop-off, rendering the branches increasingly bare.
3. Affected tree dies within three months.
4. The outer sapwood exhibits a characteristics pink strain. And the strain may extend up
the stem to about 3m from the ground.

Control

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A Sessional Report on Mycology, Forest Pathology &
Forest Protection

1. In the sissoo plantation wilt disease can be controlled by increasing moister


content of the soil by irrigation. During the irrigation land should not be under
water continuously, since aeration is necessary for the healthy growth of roots of
sissoo.
2. Elimination of the pathogen from the soil is not possible either chemically or by
crop rotation. Proper selection of site having light textured soil with adequate soil
moisture and good drainage is important for raising plantations free from wilt
disease.

Disease: Die- Back

The major cause for the death of the trees in the plantation is fungi mainly, Ganoderma
lucidium, Polyporus spongiosum and Fusarium oxysporum. Bacterial rots and several other
fungi were also found, but there were not primarily involved in killing the plants.

Host: Mango

Pathogen: Ganoderma lucidum

Symptoms
• The die-back disease has more specialized symptoms than wilt.
• The die- back of trees take place by successive stages, the symptoms being thinning
of leaves and crown, drying up of the ends of the branches, table topped condition and
stage-headedress in extreme cases small dry twigs keep on falling continuously,
leaders dry up and the tree looks like a blunt stub containing thick branches.

Control
For controlling the disease the following measures should take place
• Select resistant strains of the plant and its parts for breeding and propagation.
• Bordeaux paste (50%lime +50% copper sulphate+water) should be painted on
the fresh cut surfaces of the trees.

Fig- Fruit Body

Disease: Chlorosis
Partial or complete absence of normal green colour of leaves and presence of
yellowish colour throughout the surface but leave veins are remain green colour.
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A Sessional Report on Mycology, Forest Pathology &
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Causes
Usually chlorosis is occurred due to
o O2 deficiency
o Virus attack
o O3 pollution

Disease: Bamboo Blight

Bamboo blight is a disease of the culms where the main symptom is a die back. The
blight first affects new culms but has been briefly continues in older ones. The best time for
observing bamboo blight is from September to December.

Host.Bambusa balcooa( Bhaijja).

Pathogen: Sarocladium oryzae

Symptoms
1. Mortality of Bamboos, particularly those in the village groves, mainly occur in two
stages-
i. Mortality of very young emerging culms generally within heights of 40
cm and
ii. Mortality of newly growing culms which attain heights of about 1m to
5m.
2. Blight significantly affects culms in August.
3. Due to discoloration and decay, break down at the maximum point of decay.
4. Wet rotten patches may develop on the inter nodes.
5. The newly growing culms fail to develop.
6. Light brown to brown discoloration of the newly growing culms.
7. Discoloration may occur at the top or at the soil level.
8. One year old truncated bamboo shows the presence of light brown transition zone of
advancing infection on the rind of the culms.
9. Splitting of such portion of the culms would reveal the presence of fine thread like
whitish mycelia of a fungus.

Control
The bamboo blight can be controlled to a large extent by improving culture practices
such as removal of blighted culms, burring debris in situ in culms in April and adding new
soil in and around clumps in April-May, before the onset of monsoon and by the application
of a fungicide Dithane-M 45 as a soil drench.

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A Sessional Report on Mycology, Forest Pathology &
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LAB WORK

Isolation method of fungi from the disease and healthy specimens:


Apparatus:
Petridishes, spirit lamp, beakers, knife, forceps, scalpels, fluxes, tissue paper, needles,
piece of wood, cotton etc.

Chemical:
Streptomycin sulphate, Malt, Agar powder, Sufficient distilled water, rectified spirit etc.

1. Sterilization of Laboratory Glass wares:


Petridishees were washed and then fully dried. After wrapping them with paper and
placed into the metallic containers. The container along with petridishes, beakers and fluxes,
tissue paper etc needed for isolation was sterilized by autoclaving for 20 minutes at 15psi at
121oC temperature. Other laboratory equipment such as knife, forceps, scalpels etc. was
sterilized with rectified sprit and subsequent burning over flame of a spirit lamp. The
chamber (laminar Air flow) in which the sterilized inocula were placed and other transferring
works were done was also sterilized with Ultra-violet for at least 30 minutes. The bench was
also wiped with cotton soaked in rectified spirit. The hands were wiped with cotton soaked in
rectified spirit up to the elbow.

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A Sessional Report on Mycology, Forest Pathology &
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Fig: laminar Air flow

2. Preparation of culture media


Cultivation of fungi is an important tool for studying their nutritional requirements,
response to physical, chemical and biotic environments and also for proving their
pathogenicity on specific host plants. The selection of a satisfactory media for stimulating
growth and sporulation of particular fungus is important. Any rich carbohydrate source will
support fungal growth but PDA (Potato Dextose Agar), MA (Malt Agar), Corn Meal Agar;
Oatmeal Agar etc. are the most commonly used media.
2% MA has been used in our experiment. For the preparation of 2% MA agar media 20gm of
malt, 20gm of agar powder and 1Liter water were used. At first malt was added into water
and boiled until dissolved. Then agar powder was added into the suspension and boiled.
Media was then autoclaved for 20 minutes at 15 p.s.i at 120 º-125 ° C temperatures. We
stored this media in refrigerator for further use.

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A Sessional Report on Mycology, Forest Pathology &
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Fig ;Incubetor

3. Prevention of Bacterial Contamination


The inhabitation of bacterial contamination and growth is a major problem in
culturing fungi. This problem was overcome by using antibiotics such as streptomycin
sulphate 0.075% solution, which was added to the media just before pouring the media on the
petridishes

4. Preparation of Inocula from selected samples


The diseased samples (Leaf blight of Mohua) were sterilized. Then the inocula were
cut from the sterilized samples by the sterilized knife. The inocula were about 1 mm to 1.5
mm in size. All the above mentioned works were done into the sterilized chamber.

Fig: Leaf blight of Mohua


5. Planting of Inocula
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A Sessional Report on Mycology, Forest Pathology &
Forest Protection

After cutting the inocula from the sterilized samples, the inocula were placed on the
sterilized media that was previously poured and solidified into the sterilized petridishes. The
whole works were done into the sterilized chamber in order to conduct a Bacterial
contamination free experiment. The inocula were put on the media with the help of sterilized
forceps about 1cm far from the edge of the Petri-dishes.

Infected plant Sections from margin Sterile forceps Tissue sections Sections are
of lesion placed in used to transfer blotted with placed on nutrient
10% Clorox for sections sterile paper medium in petri
Different durations towel to remove dish
clorox excess

Sections placed on in correct immersion A pure culture of the pathogen is obtained by


nutrient media in (e.g.90º) only the subculturing a segment of the pathogen
order of immersion pathogen survives growth in the previous plate into a new plate
time in clorox in center of section with nutrient medium.
& grows out of tissue

Fig-5: Preparation of solid media in petri dishes and the test tube slants.
6. Isolation of fungi
Fungal pathogens may be isolated from leaves as illustrated in figure. 5-10 mm2
sections are cut from the margin of the dead portion of leaf and placed in a sterilized media.
If we used several sections then the duration in the sterilizing solution can be varied. This
may increase the chance of obtaining a section free of contaminants. Sections are then
removed with sterile forceps and blotted dry on sterile paper. If they are put directly on
nutrient medium it may prevent germination or growth of pathogen spores or hyphae.
Sections are then placed on nutrient medium and incubated. Those that yield only one fungus
are likely to yield the pathogen. A small portion of the fungal growth from this section can be
transferred to new plate of culture media,
producing a pure culture.

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A Sessional Report on Mycology, Forest Pathology &
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Conclusion:
Bangladesh is a small country with heavy population. On the other hand our forest
resource is not sufficient to fulfill our present demand. The sessional work which we have
done helps us in properly identifying the fungal attacks on the part of the body of the plant
species. Through this work we have been cleared about the method of find out the fungal
diseases of plants. By the application of this knowledge we will able to provide proper
treatment of the fungal diseased plants. As a results our forest resources will be increased.

References
1. Rahman, M.A. 1981, Bamboo blight in the village groves of Bangladesh.
2. http//helios.bto.ed.ac.uk/bto/microbes/armill.htm#Enzymology.
3. Blanchard, R.O. and Tatter, T.A. field and laboratory guide to Tree physiology,
Academic Press, New York, London.

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