Boxwood blight - a new disease

Boxwood blight, a fungal plant disease new to North America, has been detected in Oregon for the first time, prompting state officials to take measures to eradicate it. However, unlike the pathogen that causes sudden oak death, the newly-reported disease is no threat to the state’s environment and only affects boxwoods, a plant species that is not native to Oregon.

Boxwood blight, Cylindrocladium buxicola, has now been found in eight states and a Canadian province. It has previously invaded Europe and New Zealand. Boxwoods are commonly grown and sold by nurseries. The Oregon Department of Agriculture discovered boxwood blight disease at a Washington County nursery in December. ODA is working with the nursery to destroy all the infected blocks by bagging and burying the plants. The nursery is also voluntarily taking other actions to get rid of the disease.

 Read more at naturalresourcereport.com

New website shares information about deadly tree pathogens

Sudden oak death, Port-Orford-cedar root disease and other deadly tree diseases caused by Phytophthora species (pronounced fy-TOF-ther-uhs) are threatening forest ecosystems worldwide. These microorganisms, which are related to algae and diatoms, spend part of their life cycle in soil or water but once they infect trees, they can kill them. A new web site, developed jointly by the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station and Oregon State University, hopes to put knowledge and resources in the hands of scientists and land managers as they look for ways to fight these deadly diseases.

website: www.forestphytophthoras.org/

Read the rest of the article at www.physorg.com 

Bloedel Reserve horticulturists trained to detect serious pests and pathogens

Bloedel Reserve has joined the Sentinel Plant Network (SPN), a partnership of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA) and the National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN), an organization funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The SPN is focused on engaging public garden professionals, volunteers, and visitors in the early detection of high-consequence plant pests and pathogens.

Full article at KPBJ.com

Ho! Ho! Ho! - Toxic Christmas Trees?

By Nate Seltenrich Courtesy of the Sierra Club

The Fraser fir is the ideal Christmas tree. Fragrant, strong-limbed and long-lasting when cut, it has found its way to the White House's Blue Room more than any other tree over the past 50 years. It is also a vector to the most destructive plant pathogen you've never heard of.

The shapely Fraser fir, a southern Appalachian native now farmed extensively in nurseries, is a common carrier - and victim - of Phytophthora cinnamomi, a deadly water mold wreaking havoc on ecosystems around the world. When infected Frasers are replanted, the disease gets an opportunity to spread to new farms and neighboring plant life.

Read the rest of the article in the Bandera County Courier

Buy Local, Buy Green: Holiday Greenery and Christmas Trees Should Come From Local Sources

Informed purchases and adherence to state and federal regulations can prevent spread of forest pests

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Buying freshly-cut evergreen trees and greenery to decorate during the holiday season is a time-honored and favorite tradition. Unfortunately, harmful non-native insects and diseases can hitchhike on these trees and branches, starting new infestations in communities that were previously pest-free. This has become such a serious problem that federal and state governments now regulate the movement of Christmas trees, holiday wreaths, and related material. Buying locally cut trees from established vendors is better for the economy and the environment.

More than 450 non-native forest insects are now established in the United States. Federal and state regulations require certain conditions be met in order to move Christmas trees and wreaths out of areas quarantined due to pest infestations. These regulations are aimed at stopping the spread of gypsy moth, pine shoot beetle, sudden oak death (a tree disease), and other forest pests, which can be transported on holiday plant material.

Read more here: 

Other items of interest

Check out the December COMTF newsletter for these and other articles:

Patterns of Firewood and Forest Pests Brought to California in 2011, By Matthew Bokach, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region Forest Health Protection


Alder Phytophthora: Native or Exotic? –Surprising New Findings

Canada/United States bilateral talks on P. ramorum policy

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service P. ramorum program manager and trade director for Canada attended a meeting hosted by CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) in Vancouver, British Columbia (BC) November 8 – 9, 2011 to discuss certification processes for shipments of P. ramorum host plants from Canada as well as other international commerce concerns.  Regulatory survey data in addition to protocols and harmonization of regulations and host lists were reviewed, and visits were conducted to three propagation nurseries in BC under the Canadian Nursery Certification Institute (CNCI) Program.  To date, P. ramorum detections in BC have only been in retail establishments and not in propagation nurseries which are the major shippers of host plants to the US.

From the December COMTF newsletter