ECOLOGY OF ARMILLARIA MELLEA IN BRITAIN BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

The first trial in Britain of a method developed and used in East Africa to control Armillaria mellea is described. Contrary to experience in East Africa, colonization of hardwood roots by A. mellea was not reduced either by ringbarking trees before felling, or by frill-girdling and poisoning. Five years after felling, roots of trees treated in this manner were found to be fully colonized, while invasion of the roots of untreated trees appeared to be still in progress. However, the former were far less effective as food bases for A. mellea than the latter. Further experimentation may-reveal whether the treatments described are practical methods for reducing infection in plantations established on infested hardwood sites. Stump poisoning (with no pre-felling treatment) may also prove effective. © 1968 OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS.