The non-native fungus Lecanosticta acicola, that causes a brown spot needle blight, was first found in Slovenia in 2008. The first infections were found in the urban environment, and in 2014 the pathogen was also found for the first time in the natural environment, along the Soča River in Trenta. Infected specimens of Pinus mugo were cut down and destroyed. In our diploma thesis, we tried to find out whether the pathogen is still present in Trenta, despite the measures taken at the time. We also tried to find out if the disease is spreading from the area of the Upper Soča Valley, where it has established in recent years, towards central Slovenia. At the beginning of June 2021, we sampled pine trees (Pinus spp.) with a suspicion of infection with the fungus L. acicola in Trenta and along the route Most na Soči - Podbrdo - Škofja Loka. We took 29 samples and confirmed the infection in two samples of Pinus mugo from Trenta and in samples of Pinus mugo and Pinus sylvestris, which were taken in Kneža. In 15 samples, we confirmed infection with a fungus of the genus Dothistroma, which causes a red bend needle blight. With our research, we thus found that the measures taken at the end of 2014 were not sufficient to eradicate the pathogen in Trenta. Location Kneža represents a new infected area, but we have not confirmed the significant spread of the disease.
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