DANGEROUS INTERNATIONAL FOREST TREE DISEASES 61 



Sal Heart Rot 



Fomes oaryophylli (Rac.) Bres. A heart rot fungus in high and 

 coppiced sal forests. Infection occurs mostly through branch stubs, 

 broken branches, and knots. Trees grow apparently healthy and may 

 be identified by sporophores, or punk knots ("eyes"), which, however, 

 are not constantly present. Wounds, swollen bole, and calloused knots 

 may indicate heart rot, though not invariably so, and are thus rated 

 on percentage basis. Decay in heartwood is white and spongy. 

 Sporophores are small, dull brown, develop as thin crusts, not easily 

 noticed. 



Attacks young and mature trees. Up to 30 percent of the trees in the 

 stand may be infected. Associates of sal and other hardwoods are also 

 attacked. 



The control is mainly based on prevention of injury which exposes 

 heartwood to infection. Controlled burning, thinnings, and selection 

 fellings with a view to stand improvement, adjustment of canopy to 

 prevent frost, and suppression and formation of branch stubs are some 

 of the measures suggested to reduce the incidence of the fungus. In- 

 fected coppice stands should bexchanged over to a crop of seed origin. 



The pathogen occurs on many other hosts. 



Hosts : Dipterocarpaceae — Shorea robusta Gaertn. 

 Literature : Bakshi, B. K. Heart rot in relation to management of sal. 

 Indian Forester 83 : 651-661. 1957. 



