Stimulation of Oleoresin Flow in Pines by a Fungus

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Abstract
A Fusarium sp. causes pitchy cankers on young branches and stems of Pinus virginiana, and to a lesser extent on those of P. echinata and P. rigida in the Carolinas. Some attacks occurred on the larger trunks of Virginia pines and copious and long-continued gum flow resulted. Tests were made of the effect on gum flow of the application to wounds of spore suspensions and filtrates of solns. upon which the fungus grew. Fusarium was grown on Tochinai liquid medium for a few wks. The medium was filtered to remove the larger masses but not the spores. One lot of spore suspension was boiled and one was not. 12 Virginia pines were gouged on 2 sides, 1 streak on each tree remaining untreated. The unboiled suspension was added to 1 streak on each of 8 trees, and the boiled to 1 streak on each of 4 other trees. During the next 11/2 yrs., a continuous pitch flow exuded from the streaks receiving unboiled suspensions, but there was very little flow from those receiving the boiled suspensions or those receiving no application. The cultures were filtered and half of the filtrate was run through a Jenkins porcelain filter. These solns. were applied to punch holes in the bark and to the wood surface of the trunks of 4 Virginia pines, 4 shortleaf pines, and 2 longleaf pines. Aprons were placed under the holes and glass vials under the aprons to catch the gum. Culture solns. with active spores were placed into 2 holes on each tree, porcelain sterilized solns. were brushed into 2 other holes, and 1 hole on each tree was untreated. Only the holes treated with solns. containing viable spores showed marked stimulation of gum flow, particularly in long-leaf pine. Av. production for 2 inoc. holes over 74 days was 120 ml. per hole whereas the untreated holes yielded 4 cc. each.
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