A Practical Guide to Phytopthora - Essential for any treeworker

[Mark T]

The Phytopthora (Sudden Oak Death) outbreak is getting quite serious and is spreading quickly through the Larch population of the South of England and Wales.

 

Early identification could help slow this spread, to this end, DEFRA / FERA have produced a practical guide to help all tree owners and those who work with trees.

 

The Forestry Commission are putting a massive amount of work into controlling the desiese on FC land as well as on private woodland. Measures include helicopter surveys, on-site testing, lab analysis, foot patrols, mass felling programmes - hundreds of thousands of tonnes of Larch through the South West and South Wales are being felled with outbreaks being confirmed across these regions and into Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Hampshire.

 

Are you keeping an eye out in the areas that you see? These documents could be essential...

 

http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk/plants/publications/documents/factsheets/pramparks.pdf

 

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/WCAS-4Z5JLL

 

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/forestry.nsf/byunique/infd-86ajqa

Edited August 26, 2010 by Mark T

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

see in red

 

The Phytopthora Ramorum (Sudden Oak Death - for the US ONLY) outbreak is getting quite serious and is spreading quickly through the Larch population of the South of England and Wales.

 

Early identification could help slow this spread, to this end, DEFRA / FERA have produced a practical guide to help all tree owners and those who work with trees.

 

The Forestry Commission are putting a massive amount (Bollox - nowhere near enough. Some "dead" larch have all of a sudden put on new growth - where's the analysis of that???) of work into controlling the desiese on FC land as well as on private woodland. Measures include helicopter surveys, on-site testing, lab analysis, foot patrols, mass felling programmes - hundreds of thousands of tonnes of Larch through the South West and South Wales are being felled with outbreaks being confirmed across these regions and into Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Hampshire.

 

Are you keeping an eye out in the areas that you see? These documents could be essential...

 

http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk/plants/publications/documents/factsheets/pramparks.pdf

 

Forestry Commission - Plant Health - Sudden oak death - phytophthora alert

 

Forestry Commission - pests and diseases - P ramorum outbreak map

Edited August 26, 2010 by TimberCutterDartmoor

[Will Hinchliffe]

I drive past some dead larch every day on the A350 crockerton and there are also some in the road near Center parks longleat.

With everyone visiting center parks and longleat returning to where they came from Its possible that phytothera on Larch will be all over the place. At the moment no bio security measures have been put in place by the FC on the estate.

[Bundle 2]

What...? The FC have been engaged in clearfell ops to eradicate this.....Phytopthora is such a huge genus as to be very misleading,. You mean AOD...which effects larch!

[Mark T]

Apologies gents... you're absolutely right. I forgot to write P. ramorum - Phytopthora alone is a massive genus. Also TimberCutter, right again - Sudden Oak Death does refer to the North American Oaks and is a little misleading for the UK, but then again it is a widely used common name for the pathogen. I should not assume that everyone reading already knows that. Oh, and extra government funding to the FC and DEFRA to do more surveying / testing / research and control would be massively welcomed I'm sure.

 

Not sure what you mean about AOD though Bundle? Phenom, Longleat is not FC land... it would seem to make sense that there was bio-security there though!

[sean]

[quote

 

Not sure what you mean about AOD though Bundle? Phenom, Longleat is not FC land... it would seem to make sense that there was bio-security there though!

 

AOD........Acute Oak Decline

[Bundle 2]

 

"Not sure what you mean about AOD though Bundle? Phenom, Longleat is not FC land... it would seem to make sense that there was bio-security there though!"

 

AOD........Acute Oak Decline

 

 

My bad..SOD....(apt!)

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I will GPS the location of an oak that gotr over the disease.

 

let genetics selection sort this one out me thinks, a water born disease that penetrates even through stomata, control of this one is going to be nigh on impossible and will see countless trees felled without adequate research into this problem how can we justify steralisation and eradication of all infected?

 

If we spent as much time and resources on tree health, rather than on thier diseases, they wouldnt be so stressed and be so prone to infection!

[William]

let genetics selection sort this one out me thinks

 

Hi Hama

 

I agree that it’s a daunting task but in my opinion if we sit back and let genetics take its course our whole tree care philosophy crumbles. If we decide not to intervene how can we argue a convincing case to save the next diseased tree we come across? I'm sure you'd agree that we can all do our bit to help, from proper disposal and recording of infected wood to sourcing reputable (uninfected) planting stock.

 

Cheers:001_smile:

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I know what your saying, but its the carriers we need to sort, not the susceptable trees, we need to BAN botanical imports FULL STOP, we have a new invasive species coming in almost annualy, balsum, tiger shrimps, mitten crabs and zebra mussels, along with plant pathos etc etc.

 

Am i wrong in assuming this, as i believed that trees carrying the disease could not spread the disease only caryy it, that the phtopfera ramorum couldnt produce spores in anything but its evolved host?