Sudden Euc Death

[treeseer]

Dear Mycophiles,

 

I recently have witnessed an alarming disease on eucs in australia. the text i was linked to points to Cryphonectria, perhaps gyrosa or cubensis. I am not a fungus nor a euc expert so I submit these for your review.

 

The disease is eating through old woundwood and popping out in lesions 10m+ up the bole. Thanks for your thoughts on ID and potential treatment.

[Fungus]

I recently have witnessed an alarming disease on eucs in australia. the text i was linked to points to Cryphonectria, perhaps gyrosa or cubensis. I am not a fungus nor a euc expert so I submit these for your review. The disease is eating through old woundwood and popping out in lesions 10m+ up the bole. Thanks for your thoughts on ID and potential treatment.

 

I have no experience with any Cryphonectria species affecting eucalypts. Maybe this article is of any help ? And there seems to be no treatment for these aggressive pathogens.

[Cassian]

Hi, thanks for the Prompt Guy. I am the consultant arb (Brisbane/Sunshine Coast - SE Qld Based) responsible for gathering data on Gum trees with this disease over the last two years (for utility and main roads stakeholders). Guy went on a tour with me of infected trees the weekend just gone. What we have here is a fungal disease wihich causes lesions leading to ringbarking and death. With some trees failing within 2m of groundlevel after being killed (dead gums usually slowly fragment from the top unless a brown rot is present) and some failing whilst still live.

 

The disease has a failure mode and similar symptoms to Kretzschmaria deusta, I have found fruiting bodies identical to K. deutsa (both resupinate types - grey/white then black) as well as fruiting bodies akin (thanks Guy) to Cryphonectria cubensis (resupinate beige - orange).

 

Regardless what the fungal disease is, it is killing Gums faster than anything I have seen in 20+ years or Arb (18 years in Qld). I never recognised it prior to 2009 and have recorded out breaks within a 180 km area (Brisbane to Gympie). It is truer to refrence the disease as Sudden Gum Death as it is infecting and killing Corymbia, Eucalyptus & Lophostemon.

I have completed two major reports and am now preparing a third for a Utility client. Once drafted I aim to seek greater support in ID, as well as publish my observations. I will attach a series of photographs in support of this post. Best regards to all Cassian.

[Cassian]

Hi, thanks for the Prompt Guy. I am the consultant arb (Brisbane/Sunshine Coast - SE Qld Based) responsible for gathering data on Gum trees with this disease over the last two years (for utility and main roads stakeholders). Guy went on a tour with me of infected trees the weekend just gone. What we have here is a fungal disease wihich causes lesions leading to ringbarking and death. With some trees failing within 2m of groundlevel after being killed (dead gums usually slowly fragment from the top unless a brown rot is present) and some failing whilst still live.

 

The disease has a failure mode and similar symptoms to Kretzschmaria deusta, I have found fruiting bodies identical to K. deutsa (both resupinate types - grey/white then black) as well as fruiting bodies akin (thanks Guy) to Cryphonectria cubensis (resupinate beige - orange).

 

Regardless what the fungal disease is, it is killing Gums faster than anything I have seen in 20+ years or Arb (18 years in Qld). I never recognised it prior to 2009 and have recorded out breaks within a 180 km area (Brisbane to Gympie). It is truer to refrence the disease as Sudden Gum Death as it is infecting and killing Corymbia, Eucalyptus & Lophostemon.

I have completed two major reports and am now preparing a third for a Utility client. Once drafted I aim to seek greater support in ID, as well as publish my observations. I will attach a series of photographs in support of this post. Best regards to all Cassian.

[Cassian]

Say, can you help I am having a problem posting images - thanks Cassian...

[RobArb]

In the "go advanced" options when posting there is another option further down the page saying "manage attachments"

 

Click this and a small window pops up where you can upload your pictures into the post

 

Sent from Rob's GalaxySII

[Fungus]

a fungal disease wihich causes lesions leading to ringbarking and death. With some trees failing within 2m of groundlevel after being killed (dead gums usually slowly fragment from the top unless a brown rot is present) and some failing whilst still live. The disease has a failure mode and similar symptoms to Kretzschmaria deusta, I have found fruiting bodies identical to K. deutsa (both resupinate types - grey/white then black) as well as fruiting bodies akin (thanks Guy) to Cryphonectria cubensis (resupinate beige - orange). Regardless what the fungal disease is, it is killing Gums faster than anything I have seen in 20+ years or Arb (18 years in Qld). I never recognised it prior to 2009 and have recorded out breaks within a 180 km area (Brisbane to Gympie). It is truer to reference the disease as Sudden Gum Death as it is infecting and killing Corymbia, Eucalyptus & Lophostemon.

 

Cassian,

1. Were both types of resupinate FB's anamorphs or teleomorphs and did you check them microscopically ?

2. As K. deusta slowly "works his way" inside out and it take years before it becomes parasitic and FB's show up on the outside, and because of the symptoms you describe, I would sooner expect Cryphonectria species to be closer related to parasitic Nectria species, such as N. coccinea, N. fuckeliana and N. ditissima, which in the first phase of infection cause bark cankers and dying of living tissues after which the bark comes off.

3. Does it only affect gum trees associated with endomycorrhizae, or are Eucalypt species associated with ectomycorrhizae also infected ?

[Cassian]

Thanks for your help re- image attachment. Will give a decent reply to our micologist mate response. In the meantime the following images tell a story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictures of fungal activity (mycelial mass/fruiting bodies to come).

[Fungus]

In the meantime the following images tell a story. Pictures of fungal activity (mycelial mass/fruiting bodies to come).

 

Next question then. Did you determine the type of woodrot : white rot, soft rot, brownrot or a combination of the last two ?

[Cassian]

The following illustrate early to advanced symptoms, in areas of highest rainfall this is occuring within 3 years. You can see what I mean by fast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eucalyptus grandis, E. pilularis, Eucalyptus major, Eucalyptus tereticornis, Lophostemon confertus, Corymbia gummifera - the list is growing.

Will reply again tonight. Cassian.