Mortality of Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) after attack of Armillaria mellea s. l. and testing efficiency of control methods in young pine forest stands

In the paper the partial results of the research project named "Definition and quantification of injurious and stressing factors in Scotch pine stands of the first age degree in changed immission and site conditions of east part of the Elbe River Region" are presented. The aim of the work was to characterize the dynamic of Scotch pine mortality after attack of Armillaria mellea sp. in pine forest stands of 3 - 8 years old and testing efficiency of two control methods: (1) application of crystallic copper sulphate pentahydrate (bluestone) in dose 200 gram per dead and dying plants and (2) hand mechanical pull-out of dead and dying pine plants from soil. The research was performed in the period 1991 - 1995 on 9 sites in forest territory called Bory (near to Týniště nad Orlicí town in the East Bohemia). In stands of 3 years old the average total mortality of pine after infection by Armillaria mellea sp. in number of 50 plants per hectare was observed. After further 5 years (in stands of 8 years old) the mortality through infection by Armillaria mellea sp. reached to 887 plants per hectare. If the plant spacing is 0.7 m or minor, the usage of the tested chemical and mechanical control methods in pine stands of 3 - 4 years old is ineffective for reduction of pine tree mortality caused by Armillaria mellea sp.

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