Sphaeropsis sapinea Asociado con quema del cogollo, muerte regresiva y cáncer en troncos, ramas y raíces Del Pino Caribe en Venezuela

For 30 years the southern plains of Anzoátegui and Monagas States, Venezuela, have been planted with Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis). Until december 2000 pine comprised an extension of 615,000ha, which represents the largest tropical area with a mono specific forestal plantation. During 1997 and 1998 hundreds of thousands pine trees died in these plantations. Shoot blight, dieback and canker on trunks, branches and roots were the most common symptoms. From different infected tissues a fungus identified as Sphaeropsis sapinea (=Diplodia pinea) was consistently isolated. Pathogen identity was determined from morphology and size of reproductive structures. Based on colony morphology and conidia cell wall texture the isolates were recognized as members of morphotype B. Inoculations on wounded stems and twigs of Caribbean pine seedlings, using colonized gauze and mycelium-agar plugs, produced the canker and shoot blight symptoms observed in the field. S. sapinea was consistently isolated from inoculated materials. The damages observed were related to predisposition by prolonged water deficiency caused by the atmospheric phenomenon of "El Niño". After rain normalization new infections were not detected and many previously affected trees recuperated and reassumed growth.