Localized induction of hemlock brownstain by Ophiostoma piceae

IRG/WP 95-10106

B Kreber

Hemlock brownstain, a coloration disfiguring western hemlock and amabilis fir, causes economic loss in the high-value Canadian export lumber market. Recent work by the author has suggested that wood-sapstaining fungi can induce the formation of brownstain. Ophiostoma piceae, the most frequent staining fungus on western hemlock lumber in B.C., was chosen as a model to investigate fungal participation in the brownstaining process. A technique was developed to enable infection of thin sections and monitoring the induction of brownstain under a microscope. The results demonstrated the development of brown deposits in parenchyma cells penetrated by hyphae. Further research is underway to determine the chemical structure of the brown deposits developing in the presence of Ophiostoma piceae.


Keywords: WESTERN HEMLOCK; BROWN DISCOLORATIONS; OPHIOSTOMA PICEAE; CATECHIN

Conference: 95-05-11/16 Helsingør; Denmark


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