FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH HEART ROT OF <em>ACACIA</em> <em>MANGIUM</em> TREES IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA AND EAST KALIMANTAN

Abstract

Heart rot is a well-known defect in Acacia mangium trees grown in Southeast Asia. However, the identification of the fungi associated with the heart rot has been hampered by the absence of fruiting bodies or sporocarps on affected trees. Using a simple technique described in this paper, sporocarps were successfully produced for the identification of the associated heart rot fungi. Mycelial cultures obtained from A. mangium trees with heart rot from various locations in Peninsular Malaysia and Kalimantan, Indonesia, were tested. Based on the sporocarps produced, four species of wood decay fungi were successfully identified from the heart rot isolates. These were Rigidoporus hypobrunneus (Fetch) Corner, Phellinus noxius (Corner) Cunn., Tinctoporellus epimiltinus (Berk. & Br.) Ryv. and Oxyporus cf. latemarginatus (Dur. & Mont. ex Mont.) Donk. The first three fungi were isolated from both Peninsular Malaysia and Kalimantan while O. cf. latemarginatus was only obtained from Peninsular Malaysia.