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Drought is considered to enhance susceptibility of Norway spruce ( Picea abies) to infestations by the Eurasian spruce bark beetle ( Ips typographus, Coleoptera: Curculionidae), although empirical evidence is scarce. We studied the impact of experimentally induced drought on tree water status and constitutive resin flow, and how physiological stress affects host acceptance and resistance., We established rain-out shelters to induce both severe (two full-cover plots) and moderate (two semi-cover plots) drought stress. In total, 18 sample trees, which were divided equally between the above treatment plots and two control plots, were investigated. Infestation was controlled experimentally using a novel 'attack box' method., Treatments influenced the ratios of successful and defended attacks, but predisposition of trees to infestation appeared to be mainly driven by variations in stress status of the individual trees over time. With increasingly negative twig water potentials and decreasing resin exudation, the defence capability of the spruce trees decreased., We provide empirical evidence that water-limiting conditions impair Norway spruce resistance to bark beetle attack. Yet, at the same time our data point to reduced host acceptance by I. typographus with more extreme drought stress, indicated by strongly negative pre-dawn twig water potentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of genetic determination and environment on the variability of secondary resin canal traits was investigated on 15–19-year-old Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) clones grown in Lower Austria (Pressbaum and Ulmerfeld) and southern Sweden (Knutstorp and Hermanstorp). Eleven and 20 clones were present on the two Austrian and the two Swedish sites, respectively. The sites differed in their water availability, as indicated by different annual precipitation and soil type. Resin canal traits measured were the number of epithelial cells per canal, the number of resin canals per unit tangential wood surface area, the mean resin canal area and the total resin canal area per unit tangential wood surface area. The latter three traits are known to be related to the constitutive resin flow of Norway spruce.Environment had an influence on the variability of resin canal traits but the most important factor for the variability was the tree’s genetic disposition. Within countries, clones from the drier sites (Pressbaum and Hermanstorp) showed significantly smaller resin canals. Trees from Pressbaum also had smaller total resin canal areas than trees from Ulmerfeld. The number of epithelial cells and the number of canals did not differ between sites.Resin canal traits had wide genetic variation and high broad sense heritabilities (H2), with values between 0.28 and 0.82. Highest heritability values were reached for the number of epithelial cells and the number of canals (H2 > 0.8). Genotypic correlations across trials were high for the resin canal traits and approached 1 in both the Austrian and the Swedish trials, indicating that there was little genotype by environment interaction for these traits and thus the ranking of clones was very similar in the different environments.The number of epithelial cells, the mean area and the total resin canal area showed either moderately significant positive genotypic correlations with tree growth traits or none at all.In a breeding context, our results are encouraging and indicate that high constitutive defence potential against bark beetles, such as Ips typographus, is not aligned with low volume growth. But it should be taken into consideration that environment and forestry practices can also have an impact on the resin reservoir provided by the radial resin canals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In integrated pest management (IPM), the goal is to keep the impact of damaging agents below a threshold level with reduced pesticide use. The present review is focusing on IPM of fungal diseases and Phytophthora root rot in Norwegian Christmas tree plantations. Healthy transplants are of vital importance to give the production a good establishment. Sanitation of diseased material and weeds is also very important in IPM. Management strategies will vary with the disease-causing agent in question, therefore, correct identification is necessary. The major pathogens are within the kingdom's Fungi (e.g. Neonectria neomacrospora) and Chromista (e.g. Phytophthora spp.). They depend on relatively high humidity or free moisture to spread and infect. Any factors diminishing the duration of wet conditions will, therefore, reduce the disease pressure. Efficient weed management in Christmas tree fields will increase air circulation and thereby ensure a quicker drying after precipitation. Furthermore, certain weed species are host plants for rust fungi on Christmas trees, and thus, removal of the alternate host is a highly relevant control strategy. In Norway, fungicide use in Christmas trees is limited and only recommended during the short period from bud break to fully elongated shoots, generally the most vulnerable period concerning fungal attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Induction of terpene synthase (TPS) gene expression and enzyme activity is known to occur in response to various chemical and biological stimuli in several species of spruce (genus Picea). However, high sequence identity between TPS family members has made it difficult to determine the induction patterns of individual TPS at the protein and transcript levels and whether specific TPS enzymes respond differentially to treatment. In the present study we used a multi-level approach to measure the induction and activity of TPS enzymes in protein extracts of Norway spruce ( Picea abies) bark tissue following treatment with methyl jasmonate (MeJA). Measurements were made on the transcript, protein, enzyme activity and metabolite levels. Using a relatively new proteomics application, selective reaction monitoring (SRM), it was possible to differentiate and quantitatively measure the abundance of several known TPS proteins and three 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase (DXS) isoforms in Norway spruce. Protein levels of individual TPS and DXS enzymes were differentially induced upon MeJA treatment and good correlation was generally observed between induction of transcripts, proteins, and enzyme activities. Most of the mono- and diterpenoid metabolites accumulated with similar temporal patterns of induction as part of the coordinated multi-compound chemical defense response. Protein and enzyme activity levels of the monoTPS (+)-3-carene synthase and the corresponding accumulation of (+)-3-carene was induced to a higher fold change than any other TPS or metabolite measured, indicating an important role in the induced terpenoid defense response in Norway spruce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wounding of excised roots of Norway spruce [Picea abies (L) Karst.] caused a rapid accumulation of phenolic compounds, decrease of starch content and of certain enzyme activities in the ray cells. Infection of the wounds by Heterobasidion annosum (Fr.) Bref. intensified these processes, caused oxidation of the phenols, and induced activity of acid phosphatase and β-glucosidase in the ray cells of the infected area. The reactions were oxygen-dependent. Intra- and extracellular enzymes were detected in the wood-infecting hyphae. Other wood-growing fungi caused similar reactions in the wood as H. annosum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Drought affects the complex interactions between Norway spruce, the bark beetle Ips typographus and associated microorganisms. We investigated the interplay of tree water status, defense and carbohydrate reserves with the incidence of bark beetle attack and infection of associated fungi in mature spruce trees. We installed roofs to induce a 2-yr moderate drought in a managed spruce stand to examine a maximum of 10 roof and 10 control trees for resin flow (RF), predawn twig water potentials, terpene, phenolic and carbohydrate bark concentrations, and bark beetle borings in field bioassays before and after inoculation with Endoconidiophora polonica and Grosmannia penicillata. Drought-stressed trees showed more attacks and significantly longer fungal lesions than controls, but maintained terpene resin defenses at predrought levels. Reduced RF and lower mono- and diterpene, but not phenolic concentrations were linked with increased host selection. Bark beetle attack and fungi stimulated chemical defenses, yet G. penicillata reduced phenolic and carbohydrate contents. Chemical defenses did not decrease under mild, prolonged drought in our simulated small-scale biotic infestations. However, during natural mass attacks, reductions in carbon fixation under drought, in combination with fungal consumption of carbohydrates, may deplete tree defenses and facilitate colonization by I. typographus., (© 2024 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2024 New Phytologist Foundation.)