Inoculation success of Inonotus obliquus in birch and alder sites in Estonia
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Kuupäev
2026
Kättesaadavus
Autorid
Ajakirja pealkiri
Ajakirja ISSN
Köite pealkiri
Kirjastaja
Estonian University of Life Sciences
Abstrakt
Inonotus obliquus (Ach. ex Pers.) Pilát (commonly known as Chaga) is a medicinal fungus traditionally harvested from birch trees. Artificial cultivation is increasingly considered due to a rising commercial demand. However, our knowledge remains limited regarding infection dynamics and conk development on different host species. We assessed the success of I. obliquus inoculation in Betula pendula, B. pubescens, Alnus incana, and A. glutinosa stands two years after inoculation in order to: (i) identify the most susceptible host tree species and the most effective I. obliquus strains for cultivation; (ii) assess the frequency of conk formation under hemiboreal conditions; (iii) investigate whether visible symptoms on stems resulted from I. obliquus infection; and (iv) determine whether mechanical wounding influenced fungal establishment. The experiment was conducted at two locations in Estonia, encompassing a total of six forest sites, with inoculation success assessed using species-specific qPCR. Sterile conk development was additionally monitored visually four years post-inoculation. Inoculation success differed between the two locations, with an infection rate of 18% observed at Järvselja and 3% at Võrumaa. Three fungal strains consistently achieved higher infection rates among the six tested ones. Conks developed only on A. glutinosa trees and with specific strains. Only the identity of the fungal strains resulted in a significant effect on infection success. Visible stem symptoms, such as bleeding and bulging, were unreliable indicators of the infection rate. Inonotus obliquus conks developed more rapidly on A. glutinosa compared to B. pendula, B. pubescens, and A. incana. Moreover, fungal strains play a crucial role in determining cultivation success.
Kirjeldus
Märksõnad
chaga, Betula spp., Alnus spp., medicinal fungi, artificial inoculation, non-timber forest products, presentations