Blue Stain on Conifers

The blue stain disease of conifers causes the death of more than 40 million trees a year in Western Canada where the mountain pine beetle is the vector of the disease. The microflora associated with the mountain pine beetle consists of several species of yeasts and mycelial fungi. Four species of the genus Ceratocystis have consistently been isolated from stained conifer wood C. clavigera, C. huntii, C. ips, and C. minor. Fungi of this genus are also responsible for the oak wilt and Dutch elm diseases (9). 

Chart L Siderophores isolated from Ceratocystis species 

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