Investigations on wood-inhabiting nematodes of the genus bursaphelenchus in pine forests in the Brandenburg Province, Germany

Abstract

After detection of the pine wood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) from a restricted area in Portugal in 1999 (Mota et al., 1999), the European Commission decided to have investigations to confirm the absence of the pest in pine forests of the European member states. The territory of Brandenburg, a province of Germany, is covered by one third with extensive pine forests. Pinus sylvestris is the main forest tree in Brandenburg (861 000 ha). It is known to be a very susceptible pine species to infection by the pine wood nematode (PWN). In the last years (since 2000), we investigated dead or dying pine trees as well as beetles, particularly the black pine sawyer, Monochamus galloprovincialis, the potential vector beetle of the PWNin Brandenburg, for woodinhabiting nematodes. In order to obtain beetles for nematological examination, we set out bait logs to attract beetles for oviposition (since 2002). The following generation of hatching beetles was examined for the presence of nematode dauer juveniles. Samples of wood chips and sawdust from 15 sawmills were included in the nematological examination (since 1996). Sawmills predominantly use coniferous wood of P. sylvestris from local origin. Thus we have obtained an overview on the occurrence of Bursaphelenchus species in Brandenburg. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.