Dothistroma Needle Blight in the South of Western Siberia: First Detection and Variation in Host Susceptibility

Dothistroma sp., the causal agent of red band needle blight, is a globally distributed pine needle pathogen whose detrimental impact on forests has increased significantly in recent decades. This study provides novel data on the pathogen’s occurrence in southern Western Siberia, where it was identified for the first time on both native and introduced five-needle pines (Pinus sibirica, P. koraiensis, and P. pumila). During spring 2022, this study detected Dothistroma needle blight in a plantation containing grafted clones and seed progeny of these species. All infected trees exhibited typical red band needle blight symptoms, including brick-red needle banding, progressive needle desiccation, and shoot dieback primarily in lower crown regions, with P. pumila displaying crown-wide symptom distribution. Polymerase chain reaction–based methods confirmed the pathogen as Dothistroma sp., but did not allow reliable discrimination between D. septosporum and D. pini. Infection severity varied substantially among species and individuals. Seed progeny uniformly displayed mild symptoms, whereas clonal specimens showed species-specific patterns: P. pumila clones exhibited 75% infection prevalence with predominantly minor crown damage, P. sibirica clones demonstrated over 50% infection with the widest severity range from asymptomatic to lethal cases, and all P. koraiensis specimens presented exclusively mild symptoms. Further studies are required to assess the potential impacts of Dothistroma sp. dispersal on forestry practices and ecosystem dynamics within the native ranges of these pine species.

Cite this article as: Zhuk, E., Senashova, V., & Surina, T. (2026). Dothistroma needle blight in the south of Western Siberia: First detection and variation in host susceptibility. Forestist, 76, 0073, doi: 10.5152/ forestist.2026.25073.