Identification of fungal causal agents of pine trees die back in Kermanshah province

During, 2015-2016 a general survey was conducted in Kermanshah province (west of Iran) in order to identify the fungi implicated in the dieback of pine trees. A sum of 169 fungal isolates was obtained from pine trees showing dieback symptoms. The most frequent species associated with pine trees were different species of Aspergilus (41 isolates), different species of Penicilium (25isolates), Microsphaeropsis olivacea (16 isolates), Trichoderma harzianum (15 isolates), Rhizopus (15isolates), Paecilomyces variotii (nine isolates), Microsphaeropsis protea (eightisolates), Neoscytalidium dimidiatum (eightisolates), Eupenicillium (eightisolates), Kalmusia variispora (seven isolates), Cladosporium sphaerospermum (sixisolates), Pithomyces sp. (sixisolates) and Alternaria sp. (five isolates). Pathogenicity tests were carried out to determine the role of these species on detached. In pathogenicity tests under laboratory conditions, just isolates of M. olivacea, M. protea and K. variispora could infect inoculated branches at 25°C. Three isolates from each species were used for pathogenicity tests on two-year-old pine seedlings. A month after inoculation, symptoms developed as canker. Pathogens were re-isolated from all inoculated plants after observation of symptoms, thus completing Koch,s postulates. This is the first report of M. olivacea, M. protea and K. variispora as the causal agents of pine decline in Iran.