INCIDENCE OF ARMILLARIA SPECIES IN AGRARIAN, FOREST AND ORNAMENTAL ECOSYSTEMS OF THE LAZIO REGION.

A series of investigations to detect the incidence of the various species of Armillaria in the different ecosystems of the Lazio region of Italy have been carried out in the last fifteen years.A. ostoyae has been found only in forests of Abies alba and Pinus spp, over 700 meters a.s.l.; A. gallica and A. tabescens, with a predominantly saprophytic character, have been found on very declining oak forests. The most numerous attacks have been ascribed to A. mellea, in various orchards, vineyards, olive groves, forests, wood plantations, shade trees and other ornamental ecosystems, on broadleaved trees and shrubs, but also on coniferous ones, often as a weakness parasite, but also with evident pathogenic capacity, especially in case of high inoculum pressure. The different predisposing factors have been discussed, with particular emphasis on the declining of the plants due to climatic change. The work concludes with some hints on the possible control strategies.