Root rot (maannousema, juurikääpä)

Root rot (Heterobasidion) is a fungus which causes decay in the base of coniferous species. Root rot is most frequent in spruce stands in Southern Finland, but is also found in pine stands in Eastern Finland. Root rot is borne by air and spreads into the root systems of trees through stumps, but it can be prevented by using the harvester’s chain to transmit spores of the Phlebiopsis gigantea fungus, a natural enemy of root rot, into the tree stump.