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Armillaria species have a wide host range. In South Africa, Armillaria root rot has been recorded on many hosts including commercially-grown forest species such as Acacia mearnsii, Eucalyptus species and Pinus species. It also occurs on fruit trees such as apples, peaches and citrus and on many indigenous tree species. When indigenous forest is cleared for afforestation, the fungus colonizes stumps, which serve as an inoculum base for the pathogen from which it can then infect plantation species.

For many years, Armillaria root rot has been ascribed to the pathogen Armillaria mellea. Recent research has shown that A. mellea is an 'aggregate' species including many discrete biological entities. The species most commonly occurring in forest plantations in South Africa is A. fuscipes (Coetzee et al., 2000).

Trees in plantations with Armillaria root rot are usually found in distinct infection centres radiating out from a single infected tree. Infection centres develop owing to the capacity of the pathogen to move from tree to tree by root contacts. Dying trees are, therefore, usually found at the periphery of the infection centres. Armillaria species can also be opportunistic and infect trees dying of other causes. In this case, infected trees are usually scattered in plantations.

Trees dying of Armillaria root rot usually have yellow (chlorotic) needles and leaves. This symptom is most evident at the end of the dry season. A flush crop of cones is often produced on dying conifers. In addition, resin or gum is usually found exuding from roots and root collars of infected trees. On eucalypts and A. mearnsii the bark at the bases of infected trees often cracks and splits open.

Armillaria root rot is commonly recognised by characteristic signs of the fungus. These include a thick mat of white mycelium under the bark of roots and root collars of dead and dying trees. White "fans' of mycelium may also be present. Other signs of the disease can be the presence of black "shoe-lace-like" rhizomorphs and the production of sporophores (mushrooms) near or on dying trees. Rhizomorphs (fungus roots) are structures that facilitate the movement of the fungus through the soil and from tree to tree. These are not commonly seen in South Africa. Sporophores usually have honey-coloured caps and white gills and are produced in groups at the base of dying trees. They usually occur in spring and are short-lived and thus seldom seen.

 

Disease name:

 

Armillaria root rot

     

Causal agents:

  Armillaria fuscipes
     
Trees affected:  

Acacia mearnsii

Eucalypts

Pinus spp.

Also native trees such as Podocarpus spp.

     

Tree part
affected:

  Roots and root collar
     
Impact:  

Tree death

     

Symptoms:

  Wilting and death of trees, cracking of bark and exudation of resin/gum at bases of trees. White mycelial fan between bark and wood

 

New Publications

Bose T, Wingfield MJ, Brachmann A, Witfeld F, Begerow D, Kemler M, Dovey S, Roux J, Slippers B, Vivas M, Hammerbacher A. (2025) Removal of organic biomass in Eucalyptus plantations has a greater impact on fungal than on bacterial networks. Forest Ecology and Management 586:122734. 10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122734
Woodward S, Amin H, Mártin-Gárcia J, Solla A, Diaz-Vazquez R, Romeralo C, Alves A, Pinto G, Herron D, Fraser S, Zas R, Doğmuş-Lehtijärvi HT, Bonello P, Wingfield MJ, Witzell J, Diez JJ. (2025) Host-pathogen interactions in the Pine-Fusarium circinatum pathosystem and the potential for resistance deployment in the field. Forest Pathology 55(2):e70020. 10.1111/efp.70020
Maduke N, Slippers B, Van der Linde E, Wingfield M, Fourie G. (2025) Botryosphaeriaceae associated with racemes, fruits and leaves of macadamia in South Africa. Plant Pathology 0:1–15:1–15. 10.1111/ppa.14107
Hulcr J, Barnes I, Barnes M, Gazis R, Hammerbacher A, Johnson AJ, Lynch S, Lynn K, Marais GC, Mayers CG, Nel W, Villari C, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2025) From forest to fungus: A roadmap to bark beetle mycobiome research. Phytoparasitica 53(45) 10.1007/s12600-025-01246-x
Knoppersen RS, Bose T, Coutinho TA, Hammerbacher A. (2025) Inside the Belly of the Beast: Exploring the Gut Bacterial Diversity of Gonipterus sp. n. 2. Microbial Ecology 88:27. 10.1007/s00248-025-02524-1
Bose T, Roux J, Titshall L, Dovey SB, Hammerbacher A. (2025) Mulching of post-harvest residues and delayed planting improves fungal biodiversity in South African Eucalyptus plantations and enhances plantation productivity. Applied Soil Ecology 210:106091. 10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106091
Wychkuys KA, Giron E, Hyman G, Barona E, Castro-Llanos FA, Sheil D, Yu L, Du Z, Hurley BP, Slippers B, Germishuizen I, Bojacá CR, Rubiano M, Sathyapala S, Verchot L, Zhang W. (2025) Biological control protects carbon sequestration capacity of plantation forests. Entomologia Generalis 10.1127/entomologia/2025/3015 PDF
Balocchi F. (2025) Risk Analysis for Alien Taxa (RAAT) for Phytophthora cinnamomi in South Africa. 10.5281/zenodo.14858265
Paap T, Balocchi F, Wingfield MJ. (2025) The root rot pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi: a long-overlooked threat to the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa. Biological Invasions 27(4) 10.1007/s10530-025-03570-z PDF
Harikrishnan K, Rajeshkumar KC, Patil PM, Jeewon R, Visagie CM. (2025) Aspergillus dhakephalkarii and A. patriciawiltshireae spp. nov., two new species in Aspergillus sect. Nigri ser. Japonici (Eurotiales, Aspergillaceae) from India. Phytotaxa 695:57–79. 10.11646/phytotaxa.695.1.2
Dewing C, Visagie CM, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield BD, Yilmaz N. (2025) Three new species of Fusarium (Nectriaceae, Hypocreales) isolated from Eastern Cape dairy pastures in South Africa. MycoKeys 115:241–271. 10.3897/mycokeys.115.148914 PDF
Coertze S, Visagie CM, Rose L, Slippers B, Mostert D, Makhura T, de Villiers D, Basson E, Coetzee B, Read D. (2025) First report of Clavibacter nebraskensis, causing Goss’s bacterial leaf blight on maize (Zea mays L.) in South Africa. Plant Disease 10.1094/PDIS-01-25-0164-PDN PDF
van der Merwe E, Slippers B, Dittrich-Schröder G. (2025) Exploring artificial diets for the laboratory rearing of Sirex noctilio late-instar larvae: a qualitative study. Zenodo 10.5281/zenodo.15049303
Mapfumo P, Archer E, Swanevelder ZH, Wilken M, Creux N, Read DA. (2025) Plant Pathology. Genomic Characterisation of Bidens mottle virus in South Africa and an Assessment of the Impact on Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) in an Open Field Setting 10.1111/ppa.14089
Brasier CM, Grünwald NJ, Bourret TB, Govers F, Scanu B, Cooke DEL, Bose T, Hawksworth DL, Abad ZG, Albarracin MV, Alsultan W, Altamirano-Junqueria AE, Arifin AR, Arnet MJ, Aumentado HDR, Bakonyi J, Belisle WH, Benigno A, Bienapfl JC, Bilodeau GJ, Blair JE, Botella L, Brandano A, Cacciola SO, Carbone I, Castroagudin VL, Chaendaekattu N, Consford JD, Corcobado T, Covey PA, Daniels HA, Deidda A, Dorrance AE, Dort EN, Drenth A, Drizou F, Evangelisti E, Fajardo SN, Fang Y, Ference CM, Frankel SJ, Goss EM, Guest DI, Hardy GESJ, Harris ARH, Hawku MD, Heungens K, Hong C, Horner IJ, Horta Jung M, Iyanda OJ, Jamieson B, Jeffers SN, Judelson HS, Junaid M, Kalogeropoulou E, Kamoun S, Kang S, Kasuga T, Kudláček T, LeBoldus J, Lee CA, Li D, Llanos AK, Lopez-Nicora HD, Machado H, Di San Lio GM, Maia C, Mandal K, Manosalva P, Martin FN, Matson MEH, McDougal RL, McDowell JM, Michelmore RW, Milenković I, Moricca S, Mostowfizadeh-Ghalamfarsa R, Nagy Z, Nikolaeva EV, Ortega-López P, Paap T, Parada-Rojas CH, Peduto Hand F, Perez-Sierra A, Pettersson M, Prasad P, Puig AS, Raco M, Rajput NA, Ristaino JB, Rooney-Latham S, Seidl MF, Shamoun SF, Solla A, Spies CFJ, Sudermann MA, Swiecki TJ, Tian M, Tripathy S, Uematsu S, Van Poucke K, Vichou AE, Walter M, Webber JF, Williams NM, Wingfield MJ, Yadav D, Yang X, Jung T. (2025) Preserving the Biologically Coherent Generic Concept of Phytophthora, ‘Plant Destroyer’. Phytopathology 10.1094/PHYTO-11-24-0372-LE
Stazione L, Corley JC, Allison JD, Hurley BP, Lawson SA, Lantschner MV. (2025) Novel associations among insect herbivores and trees: Patterns of occurrence and damage on pines and eucalypts. Ecological Applications 35:e70018. 10.1002/eap.70018
Townsend G, Hill M, Hurley BP, Roets F. (2025) Escalating threat: increasing impact of the polyphagous shot hole borer beetle, Euwallacea fornicatus, in nearly all major South African forest types. Biological Invasions 27 10.1007/s10530-025-03551-2 PDF
Makunde PT, Slippers B, Bush S, Hurley BP. (2025) Host specificity and host stage preference of Psyllaephagus species (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) towards invasive eucalypt psyllids (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae). Agricultural and Forest Entomology :1-13. 10.1111/afe.12679
Tarigan M, Wingfield MJ, Jami F, Oliveira LSS, Saha MA, Durán A, Pham NQ. (2025) Pathogenicity of Pythium myriotylum on Acacia crassicarpa and Acacia mangium × Acacia auriculiformis clones in Indonesia. Southern Forests: a Journal of Forest Science 87:1–5. 10.2989/20702620.2024.2432863
D’Angelo D, Hu H, Lahoz E, Risteski J, Steenkamp E T, Viscardi M, van der Nest M A, Wu Y, Yu H, Zhou J, Karandeni Dewage C S, Kotta-Loizou L I, Stotz H U, Fitt B D L, Huang Y, Hu Y, Kiss L, Sorrentino R, Nkomo T, Zhou X, Vaghefi N, Sonnekus B, Bose T, Cerrato D, Cozzolino L, Creux N, D’Agostino N, Fourie G, Fusco G, Hammerbacher A, Idnurm A, Wingfield BD. (2025) IMA GENOME - F20 A draft genome assembly of Agroathelia rolfsii, Ceratobasidium papillatum, Pyrenopeziza brassicae, Neopestalotiopsis macadamiae, Sphaerellopsis filum and genomic resources for Colletotrichum spaethianum and Colletotrichum fructicola. IMA Fungus 16:e141732. 10.3897/imafungus.16.141732
Espach A, Esterhuizen L, Africander N, Thiart S, Read DA, Pietersen G. (2025) First report of pepper ringspot virus on potato (Solanum tuberosum) in South Africa. Journal of Plant Pathology 10.1007/s42161-025-01887-1
Muema EK, van Lill M, Venter SN, Claassens R, Steenkamp ET. (2025) Mesorhizobium salmacidum sp. nov. and Mesorhizobium argentiipisi sp. nov. are symbionts of the dry-land forage legumes Lessertia diffusa and Calobota sericea. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 19(3):1-20. 10.1007/s10482-025-02063-2
Motaung TE, Ratsoma FM, Kunene S, Santana QC, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield BD. (2025) Harnessing exogenous membrane vesicles for studying Fusarium circinatum and its biofilm communities. Microbial Pathogenesis 10.1016/j.micpath.2025.107368
van Dijk A, Wilson AM, Marx B, Hough B, Swalarsk-Parry BS, De Vos L, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD, Steenkamp ET. (2025) CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing reveals that the Pgs gene of Fusarium circinatum is involved in pathogenicity, growth and sporulation.. Fungal Genetics and Biology 10.1016/j.fgb.2025.103970
Balocchi F, Wingfield MJ, Paap T. (2025) First record of the white root rot fungus Dematophora necatrix on indigenous South African trees. Journal of Plant Pathology 10.1007/s42161-025-01861-x PDF
Coelho MA, David-Palma M, Aylward J, Pham NQ, Visagie CM, Fuchs T, Yilmaz N, Roets F, Sun S, Taylor JT, Wingfield BD, Fisher MC, Wingfield MJ, Heitman J. (2025) Decoding Cryptococcus: From African biodiversity to worldwide prevalence. PLOS Pathogens 21:e1012876. 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012876
Solís M, Hammerbacher A, Wingfield M.J, Naidoo S. (2025) Enhancing plantation forest sustainability: A review of Eucalyptus defence mechanisms to foliar fungal pathogens. Current Forestry Reports 10.1007/s40725-024-00243-3
Ratsoma MF, Santana QC, Wingfield BD, Steenkamp ET, Motaung TE. (2025) Understanding cargo sorting and interactive effects of membrane vesicles in fungal phytopathogens: Current knowledge and research gaps. Fungal Biology Reviews 51 10.1016/j.fbr.2025.100411
Harvey A, van den Berg N, Swart V. (2025) In silico characterisation of the avocado WAK/WAKL gene family with a focus on genes involved in defence against Phytophthora cinnamomi. Frontiers in Plant Science 15:1474781. 10.3389/fpls.2024.1474781 PDF
Botes J, Ma X, Chang J, Van de Peer Y, Berger DK. (2025) Flavonoids and anthocyanins in seagrasses: implications for climate change adaptation and resilience. Frontiers in Plant Science 15(1520474):1-17. 10.3389/fpls.2024.1520474
Wondafrash M, Wingfield MJ, Hurley BP, Slippers B, Mutitu EK, Jenya H, Paap T. (2025) DNA sequence data confirms the presence of two closely related cypress-feeding aphid species on African cypress (Widdringtonia spp.) in South Africa. Southern Forests 86:278-285. 10.2989/20702620.2024.2390863 PDF
Mangani R, Mazarura J, Matlou S, Marquart A, Archer E, Creux N. (2025) The impact of past and current district-level climatic shifts on maize production and the implications for South African farmers. Theoretical and Applied Climatology 156:109. 10.1007/s00704-024-05334-6
Möller H, Slippers B, van den Berg N. (2025) Branch canker battles: understanding and managing the Botryosphaeriaceae in avocado. Phytoparasitica 53(17) 10.1007/s12600-024-01227-6
Pham NQ, Wingfield BD, Barnes I, Gazis R, Wingfield MJ. (2025) Elsinoe species: The rise of scab diseases. Plant Pathology 10.1111/ppa.14015
Theron E, van Niekerk JM, van der Waals JE. (2025) A review of the use of phosphonates in the management of Phytophthora nicotianae in citrus in South Africa. Phytoparasitica 53(11) 10.1007/s12600-024-01234-7 PDF
Aylward J, Atkins S, Roets F, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2025) Several Seiridium species (Sporocadaceae: Xylariales) cause cypress canker in South Africa. Fungal Biology 129:101528. 10.1016/j.funbio.2024.101528
Martin G, Canavan K, Chikowore G, Bugan R, De Lange W, du Toit B, Harding G, Heath R, Hill M, Hurley BP, Ivey P, Muir D, Musedeli J, Richardson DM, Slippers B, Stafford L, Turner A, Watson K, van Wilgen BW. (2025) Managing wilding pines in the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa: Progress and prospects. South African Journal of Botany 177:377-391. 10.1016/j.sajb.2024.12.011 PDF
Wingfield MJ, Slippers B, Barnes I, Duong AT, Wingfield BD. (2025) The Pine pathogen Diplodia sapinea: Expanding frontiers. Current Forestry Reports 11(2) 10.1007/s40725-024-00236-2
Hurley BP, Lawson S, Slippers B. 2025. Biological Control of Insect Pests in Plantation Forests. Springer: Switzerland.
Mangani R, Archer E, Engelbrecht C, Bellochi G, Mukiibi A, Creux N. 2025. The Impact of Climate Change on Crop Production and Food Security: A South African Perspective. In: Climate Change, Food Security, and Land Management. Leal Filho W, Matandirotya N, Yayeh Ayal D, Luetz JM, Borsari B. (eds). Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp 1-12.
Goundar P, Slippers B, Hurley BP, Lawson SA. 2025. Classical biological control of bark and wood borers in Pinus plantations. In: Biological Control of Insect Pests in Plantation Forests. Hurley BP, Lawson SA, Slippers B. (eds). Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp 321-338.
Hurley BP, Slippers B, Lawson SA. 2025. Biological control in plantation forests: trends and opportunities. In: Biological Control of Insect Pests in Plantation Forests. Hurley BP, Lawson SA, Slippers B. (eds). Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp 3-18.
Slippers B, Fitza KNE, Garnas JR. 2025. Genetic diversity should be considered in biological control programmes in plantation forestry. In: Biological Control of Insect Pests in Plantation Forests. Hurley BP, Lawson SA, Slippers B. (eds). Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp 71-94.
Wondafrash M, Slippers B, Hurley BP. 2025. Accidental introductions of natural enemies in plantation forests. In: Biological Control of Insect Pests in Plantation Forests. Hurley BP, Lawson SA, Slippers B. (eds). Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp 161-190.
Ashmore JS, Slippers B, Duong TA, Dittrich-Schröder G. (2024) Understanding the genetics of sex determination in insects and its relevance to genetic pest management. Insect Molecular Biology 10.1111/imb.12982
Oostlander AG, Elfstrand M, Oliva J, Stenlid J, Well L, Grober C, Klawonn F, Brandt U, Becker Y, Slippers B, von Bargen M, Brodde L, Fleißner A. (2024) Development of a molecular genetics and cell biology toolbox for the filamentous fungus Diplodia sapinea. PLoS ONE 19:e0308794. 10.1371/journal.pone.0308794
Balocchi F, Sanfuentes E. (2024) Fungal pathogens on Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) and French broom (Genista monspessulana) from Chile. Forest Pathology 54 10.1111/efp.70004
Knoppersen R, Hammerbacher A, Bose T. (2024) Fungal Planet description sheets: 1697–1780 (Description of Sporisorium enterogonipteri). Fungal Systematics and Evolution 14:325–577. 10.3114/fuse.2024.14.19
Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2024) Gene transfer between fungal species triggers repeated coffee wilt disease outbreaks. PLOS Biology 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002901
Teshome DT, Zharare GE, Ployet R, Naidoo S. (2024) Molecular mechanisms underlying tree host-pathogen interactions under drought stress and subsequent rewatering in Eucalyptus grandis. Plant Stress 10.1016/j.stress.2024.100697