Investigation and Identification of Poplar Pests and Diseases in Kohgilouyeh & Boyer-Ahmad Province.

Needs of people to wood and it's products, reduction of forest areas and importance of poplar as fast growing trees between forest trees and specific characteristics of it such as quick growth and climatic adaptation caused using this plant as a substitute wood source. Suitable fields for scientitic development of poplar culture in the country need searches and studies on this plant to recommend resistant and high yielding species and colons for each region. Different pests and diseases usually affect poplar trees and reduce quality and quantity of its wood yield. In order to identify important pests and diseases of poplar trees and identification of their abundance on different poplar species and clones planted in Kohgilouyeh & BoyerAhmad province, a study was conducted during the years 2002-2006, on native and exotic poplar clones in Sarabtaveh Research Station of Yasouj in a complete blocks design. The main aims of this suduy were collection and identification of important pests and diseases of poplar trees in the province, identifying abundance and population of pests and diseases and studying resictance and susceptibility of poplar species and clones to them. In this study, weekly sampling was done using Eschneider trap from all 4 geographical directions of the tree. In each sampling, 4 trees and four 50 cm long branches on each tree were selectedthe present pests and diseases were collected and transferred to laboratory for identification. Important poplar pests and diseases of the province are as follow: Melasoma populi, Capnidis miliaris, Melanophila picta, Pemphigus spirotheca, Pemphigus bursarius, Pemphigus boreales, Pemphigus vesicles, Phloeomyzus passerinii, Chaitophrus populi, Lithocolletis populifoliella, Monosteria unicostata, Cytospora chrysosperma and Marsonina castagnei. Natural enemies of poplar pests are Coccinella septempunctata, Coccinella undecinpunctata and Lygaeus spp. Analyzsis of variance shows that average height and diamenter growth a significant difference between the clones Populus alba 49.9 and P. alba 72.12 with the P. nigra group (P. n. 72.14 and P. n. 62.149). Results obtained from mean comparison of data shoed a significant difference in population and density of the pests on different clones. The effect of repitation on year and clone and also effect of clone on repetition and clone on year were not significant that means infestation rate of poplar clones to the pests and diseases was not affected by repetition and year.