Leś. Pr. Bad., 2008, Vol. 69 (2): 127-132.

Szkodliwość Melampsora pinitorqua (Braun) Rostr., sprawcy skrętaka sosny
Pine twisting rust caused by Melampsora pinitorqua (Braun) Rostr. – occurrence and damage

Monika Małecka
Instytut Badawczy Leśnictwa, Zakład Fitopatologii Leśnej, Sękocin Stary, ul. Braci Leśnej 3, 05-090 Raszyn; Fax 0-22 7200397; e-mail: M.Malecka@ibles.waw.pl

Abstract. Pine twisting rust caused by Melampsora pinitorqua (Brown) Rostr. is one of the most common diseases of pine plantations in Poland. The first records of pine twisting rust in Poland date back to the beginning of the 20th century. The spread of the disease has been monitored every year since the 1950s. Today, the infested area is approx. 1500–3000 hectares. In 1992, Melampsora pinitorqua caused serious damage to Scots pine in plantations established on 20,000 hectares of burnt forest areas. The research was conducted in the territory of the Potrzebowice Forest District, where approx. 80% of trees were infested with the pathogen. The research results confirmed that there is a relationship between the occurrence of pine twist rust and the increase in pine height growth. Also, the increased frequency of aecia on shoots appeared to be strongly correlated with the leader shoot elongation.