EVALUATION OF DISEASE RESISTANCE AND SUSCEPTIBILITY TO CHESTNUT BLIGHT FUNGUS, CRYPHONECTRIA PARASITTCA, OF CHESTNUT VARIETIES IN KOREA

For the selection and breeding of chestnut varieties resistant to the chestnut blight fungus Cryphonectria parasitica, disease resistance and susceptibility of 28 varieties widely planted and growing in Korea were evaluated by artificial inoculation of a pathogenic fungus. For this experiment, a typical virulent strain (KCPC-19) was selected. Artificial inoculation was conducted into all varieties by using two different materials and methods, i.e., bark and wood tissue sections in the laboratory and living trees in the field. In the bark and wood tissue section method, the size of necrotic area and canker development on chestnut varieties were examined and compared 4 days after inoculation. There were wide variations of chestnut varieties in disease resistance and susceptibility against chestnut blight fungus, but 3 varieties, Daebo！, Ishizuchi, and Sandae, were shown to be relatively resistant to the disease with the necrotic area of 0.95-1.03 cm2, while Arima was the most susceptible with the size of 2.0 cm2. In the living tree inoculation examined 5 weeks after inoculation, 3 varieties, Daebo, Ishizuchi, and Riheiguri, showed the higher resistance, but Tono 2 did the highest susceptibility among tested varieties.