The histology of hybrid poplar clones inoculated with Septoria musiva

Septoria musiva causes stein cankers that severely limit production of susceptible hybrid poplars in eastern North America. A field experiment was conducted with resistant clone DN34 and susceptible clone NC11505 in order to (i) identify tissues colonized by the pathogen, (ii) describe tissue responses to S. musiva, and (iii) determine whether tissue responses to S. musiva differed between hybrid poplar clones. Branches of each clone were inoculated by removing the fourth or fifth fully expanded leaf and placing an agar plug colonized by an aggressive isolate of S. musiva over the wound. Seven weeks after inoculation, branches were harvested and prepared for histology. Data from nonwounded control, wounded control, and wounded and inoculated steins were collected and analyzed for effects of clone and treatment. In general, fungal colonization was more extensive in NC11505 and exophylactic and necrophylactic periderms (NPs) of clone DN34 were significantly thicker than those of NC11505, regardless of treatment. The number of NPs produced and the distance from the epidermis to the outermost layer of phellem were significantly affected by the pathogen. Inoculated stems of clone DN34 developed a single NP that formed closer to the wound surface than in wounded controls. In contrast, inoculated stems of NC11505 developed successive NPs and the first NP formed further from the wound surface than in wounded controls. These two host responses to inoculation, as well as measures of exophylactic and necrophylactic periderm thickness, may be useful as markers for the selection of poplar resistant to damage by S. musiva.