From Lab to Nursery ; Novel Approaches of Seed Disinfection for Managing Pine Pitch Canker Propagation

Funding Information: This research was co-funded by PDR2020, Portugal2020 and FEDER under the framework GO +PrevCRP (PDR2020\u2013101\u2013031058, partnership No. 112, initiative No. 237) and PRR\u2014Recovery and Resilience Plan and by the NextGeneration EU European Funds. Diana Paiva was supported by PhD research grant UI/BD/150843/2021 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UI/BD/150843/2021) awarded by the Centre for Functional Ecology\u2014Science for People and the Planet (CFE) and co\u2013funded by Funda\u00E7\u00E3o para a Ci\u00EAncia e Tecnologia, I.P. (FCT) through national funding by the Minist\u00E9rio da Ci\u00EAncia, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (MCTES) from Fundo Social Europeu (FSE). Ana C. Silva was financially supported by PhD research grant 2022.11826.BD. Helena Bragan\u00E7a acknowledges support from UIDB/04551/2020 and UIDP/04551/2020 center grants to GREEN\u2013IT. The authors thank FCT for funding the R&D Unit Centre for Functional Ecology\u2014Science for People and the Planet (CFE) with reference UIDB/04004/2020 and DOI identifier 10.54499/UIDB/04004/2020 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/04004/2020) and the Associate Laboratory TERRA with reference LA/P/0092/2020 and DOI identifier 10.54499/LA/P/0092/2020 (https://doi.org/10.54499/LA/P/0092/2020), financed by FCT/MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC). Publisher Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. ; Fusarium circinatum, the causative agent of pine pitch canker disease, is a pathogenic fungus that poses a significant threat to pine forests globally. It infects various Pinus species, causing resinous cankers, needle discoloration, and tree death. The disease severely impacts forest ecosystems, necessitating cost-effective and environmentally friendly management strategies. Contaminated pine seeds and seedlings are the main pathways for introducing this fungus to disease-free areas. To mitigate this disease and prevent its spread, it is crucial to implement new processes in forest plant production systems that align with the existing conditions of ...