FUNGI

✔Fungi is an achlorophyllous plant that relies on other organisms or organic matter to survive.✔Fungi has many roles in the our community. For most part it is highly beneficial to both human and the environment.✔A minor role of fungi in the forest community is its parasitic role. They also cause the majority of known plant diseases, and many diseases of animals and of man.

INTRODUCTION

Fungi are categorized as: 1. Saprophytic fungi

- fungi which rely on non-living tissues to survive and are important in the decomposition of organic matter. Saprophytes are not in vital association with living tissues.

2. Parasitic fungi

- fungi which rely on living tissues to survive and is the group where most pathogens belong. Parasites are in vital association with living tissues.

3. Symbiotic fungi

- fungi that form relationship with other organisms and relies on the relationship to survive, they are niether parasites or sarophytes.

Fungi growth requirements

1. water

2. A favorable temperature

3. an abundance oxygen

4. a digestible food or potential energy source

5. light

6. pH range

7. vitamins and minor elements

Means of dissemination of fungi

Forms and locations of survival of fungi between crops

Types of common diseases

1. Foliage diseasesNeedle diseases of conifers. At first,few brown needles appear, mixingwith green needles. The numberof brown needles gradually increase.In case of pine, brown stripesappear and later coalesce to turnthe whole needle to brown color.

Leaf diseases of broad leaved trees. The symptoms start as minute spots (lesions) on green leaves. Lesions vary depending on the kind of diseases.

2. Bark diseases - Bark of twig, branch and trunk is invaded. Lesions on the bark are completely extended around forming sunken dead areas in stem, twigs and branches (cankerous) structures. In some diseases, enlargement or swelling of the tissue in the branches can be observed.

3. Root diseases - Root, root crown and finally, basal parts of the trunk are invaded. Other symptoms include discoloration (necrosis) of the root system: yellowing, browning and wilting of whole crown; blighting of the leaves can also be observed. Die back of seedling/tree is also encountered in some root diseases.

Plant diseases

Diseases common to various plant1. Damping off – seeds and germinated seeds are

invaded by the organismHost Range – pines, eucalyptus, agoho, mollucan sau,

cinchona and kaatoan bangkalControl – sterilization of the soil and application of

fungicide in the seeds before planting

2. Powdery mildew – formed on the lower or the upper leaf surfaces, finally, turning the whole leaf to yellow and gradually all leaves defoliate

Host Range – various broad leaf treesControl – burn or bury the infected parts

3. Rust – attack on the upper or lower portion of the leaves

Host Range – teak, alnus, mulberry, bamboos

Control – burning of the diseased leaves

4. Scooty mold – leaves, petioles, twigs and branches are particularly or completely covered with black mycelial colonies of the fungus

Host Range – gmelina, mangiumControl – thorugh thinning and prunning for

suppressing mold, if damage is serious, use organic phosphorous chemicals

Importance to Crop Protection and to trees

Controlling pests and diseases on such a mass produced crop is crucial to individual farmers and the economy. Pest forecasts can make the difference between a wrecked harvest and a profitable one that uses the least amount of chemicals possible, saving time, money and reducing the crop’s environmental footprint.

✔ Fungi are important to trees because of the effects on photosynthetic activity. When the foliage of the tree is affected this means that its photosynthetic ability or its ability to produce food is compromised, as a result, the other physiological processes of the tree is also affected. Depending on the severity of the infection sometimes this disease may cause the death of the trees.

THE END

BY: SAG