Study of common diseases of pine, spruce and maple and testing the effectiveness of fungicidal preparations

Abstract

Background and Aim. Landscaping parks with ornamental trees today is an important task related to the need to create a comfortable urban environment, improve the environmental situation and increase the aesthetic attractiveness of green areas. The purpose of this study is to identify the most common diseases of ornamental crops and select the most effective fungicides to combat them.
Materials and Methods. Samples were collected from randomly selected trees, including both lower and upper tiers. DNA isolation was performed using a commercial GeneJET PCR Purification Kit. Amplification of DNA fragments was performed by Sanger's method using BigDye Terminator kit. The resulting sequencing products were analyzed on an ABI 3130XL genetic analyzer (Applied Biosystems, USA). Chromatograms were processed and edited in Sequencing Analysis 5.2, Patch 2 (Applied Biosystems, USA). The data obtained were interpreted using a database on the site www.ncbi.com. Experiments to determine the effectiveness of fungicides were conducted using the “poisoned agar” method, designed to study the growth of mycelium. Validation of the experiment was carried outthrough the SNEDECOR program.
Results. Based on microscopic examination and molecular genetic analysis by sequencing, it was found that spruce is affected by Fusarium tricinctum, while Alternaria infectoria was detected on pine and maple. Tests of the biological efficacy of fungicides showedthat propiconazole and pyraclostrobin preparations have a pronounced inhibitory activity against the identified pathogens, reducing mycelial growth by 74-87%. The maximum effect was noted when using Clastro on spruce, where the level of inhibition of mycelial growth reached 87.4%.
Conclusion. The combination of traditional microscopy methodsand modern molecular genetic approaches allows for more accurate identificationof phytopathogenic fungi and selection of the most effective plant protection products. The results obtained can be used in the development of integrated protection systems for tree species in forest and urban plantations, which will help preserve their decorative and environmental value.