Student: Rebecca Larsson
About 370 million tree seedlings are produced every year in Sweden. There is a higher risk for infections by fungal pathogens due to intensive management practices, and fungicides are commonly used in forest nurseries. As fungal pathogens adapt and build resistance to fungicides, there is a need for alternative control methods, including microbial treatments that may be an option as a biological control. The aim of this PhD-project is to generate new knowledge and competence on integrated fungal disease management in Swedish forest nurseries through diverse control measures and monitoring of phytopathological, silvicultural and environmental effects in forest nurseries and after seedling outplanting. The project will include studies on, for example, microbial treatments in forest nurseries, microbes associated with seeds used in the nurseries, properties of different fungicides on nursery pathogens and dispersal of nursery pathogens.
Main supervisor: Åke Olson (SLU, Uppsala)
Co-supervisor: Audrius Menkis (SLU, Uppsala)
Co-supervisor/Industry partner: Carin Espes (Svenska Skogsplantor)