Associations between Armillaria species and host plants in U.K. gardens

Abstract

Honey fungus (Armillaria spp.) root rot is the disease most frequently inquired about by U.K. gardeners to the Royal Horticultural Society. Armillaria epidemiology has been studied within forestry and agriculture, but data are lacking within gardens, which have greater host plant diversity than orchards and vineyards and greater disturbance than woodlands. Which Armillaria species are responsible for garden disease, and how the broad range of susceptible ornamentals are differentially affected is not known. To address this, isolates of Armillaria were obtained from dead and dying plants from across the U.K. over a 4-year period (2004 to 2007). Species were identified by PCR-RFLP for IGS, and further verified by species-specific PCR for EF-1 α. Of the seven species known in the U.K., three were identified: A. mellea (83.1%), A. gallica (15.8%), and A. ostoyae (1.1%). Armillaria was isolated from trees, shrubs, and nonwoody plants including bulbs and vegetables, with newly recorded hosts listed herein. A. mellea was associated with infections of multiple hosts, and with all infections of the most common host, Ligustrum. In sites where more than one Armillaria species was found, the combination was of A. mellea and A. gallica, raising questions regarding the interactions of these species in U.K. gardens.