Armillaria root rot

Abstract

Armillaria luteobubalina is a fungal phytopathogen endemic to Australia. First described by Podger et al, this species affects a wide range of plants in horticultural and native environments of temperate regions within Australia, colonising root and trunk tissue. This colonisation causes tissue necrosis and ultimately death of the host, giving it the disease name of Armillaria root rot. This disease has brought about considerable economic loss to horticultural, forestry and amenity plantings. To date, control options are limited, with removal of the infected material as the only proven successful management procedure.