Inoculation success of Inonotus obliquus (Ach. ex Pers.) Pilát in birch (Betula pendula Roth, B. pubescens Ehrh.) and alder (Alnus incana (L.) Moench, A. glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.) in Estonia

Research paper

Key message

This is the first study to investigate the success of inoculation of Alnus incana and A. glutinosa with Inonotus obliquus (Ach. ex Pers.) Pilát, providing new insights about the potential cultivation of this valuable fungus under field conditions. Results show that conks developed slowly under natural conditions. The development of the fungus observed in A. glutinosa suggests that this species may be as suitable a host for I. obliquus than birches. Furthermore, visible stem symptoms proved unreliable for detecting infection, highlighting the importance of molecular diagnostics for accurate assessment.

Keywords
Chaga; Betula spp. ; Alnus spp. ; Medicinal fungi; Artificial inoculation; Non-timber forest products

Publication 
Kütt, K., Adamson, K., Jürimaa, K. et al. Inoculation success of Inonotus obliquus (Ach. ex Pers.) Pilát in birch (Betula pendula Roth, B. pubescens Ehrh.) and alder (Alnus incana (L.) Moench, A. glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.) in Estonia. Annals of Forest Science 83, 7 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13595-025-01321-7

Data availability
The data supporting this study have been uploaded to the PlutoF platform and are publicly available under the following DOIs:

Järvselja forest sites: https://doi.org/10.15156/BIO/3301250.

Võrumaa forest sites: https://doi.org/10.15156/BIO/3301251.

Handling editor
Benoit Marçais