Oak Wilt (Ceratocystis fagacearum)

[Arborworx]

Hi all,

 

Please excuse my ignorance, but ive always been told told there is no such thing as a stupid question....well probably until now that was true !

 

Does 'Oak Wilt' (Ceratocystis fagacearum) exist in the UK, or is it just our cousins across the pond who suffer from this ?

 

Thanks in advance.

[David Humphries]

At a seminar recently I seem to remember the Forestry Commission deeming it to be a future threat.

 

 

 

 

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[Tommy Hutchinson]

Intresting fungus check this read out.

Forest Pathology - Oak Wilt

[Arborworx]

Thanks for the reply. Well that's good to hear for now I suppose. So does the UK have any oak related diseases that are spread by beetles ?

[David Humphries]

Thanks for the reply. Well that's good to hear for now I suppose. So does the UK have any oak related diseases that are spread by beetles ?

 

The Buprestid beetle - Agrilis biguttatus, is thought to be associated with the bacteria involved in Acute Oak Decline (AOD)

 

 

 

 

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[Arborworx]

Cheers for the help David. Ive got a starting point for a little research now. Is it thought that the aformentioned disease is spread in the same way as Oak Wilt ? That the bettles are attracted to sap from fresh wounds and if they are carrying spores of the fungus then the tree will most likely be infected, or are we talking a whole different beast here !?

[David Humphries]

AOD is a complex, not a fungal infection.

 

Its possibly a number of different agents leading to the decline including bacteria.

 

I think there are still studies going on to help determine the extent & part that Agrilis plays in the oak decline.

 

 

 

 

 

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[Arborworx]

I see, ive just done some research into the beetle too, and it seems that it targets trees regardless of health, so everyone is at risk I suppose.

[Arborworx]

Straying a little off topic here, but does that meen that the advice given to 'not prune oak during April, May and June' can be disregarded in the UK ?

Edited May 6, 2013 by Arborworx