Wesste

Here is a link to all the presentations: Forestry Commission - Chilterns Tree Health Conference - 8th March 2013 Was a really great conference, which covered an awful lot in a very short space of time. As I can remember there were a few species talked about for future planting (only potentials mind and only suggested as trials). These included; japanese red cedar, coast redwood, red oak, red alder, macedonian pine, black walnut, sitka spruce and a couple of others I can't remember. These suggestions are based on climate projections for 2050-80 only and do not take into account the potential threats from Pests and Diseases. Hope this helps.

Nimby, thank you for completing the survey. I am not too sure on it's current spread but wondering if it will be a disease that goes relatively un-noticed what with all the other tree pests/diseases we have at the moment. Will probably post the finished product on the forum in the near future.

Good luck with your research Ben, have completed the survey. You might find it hard to analyse the more open questions, but hopefully you will have captured the opions of UK Foresters/managers. If you want a wider response to your survey maybe try and approach the RFS/ICF and see if you can get the link posted in their monthly e-newsletters - Not sure if you will need approval from Harper for this first!? Please pass on my regards to Jim Waterson.

Thanks for filling out the survey, really is appreciated. That's the idea of doing the study.... Just trying to gauge whether it is one of those diseases that goes unnoticed - especially with new diseases all the time - and could be a serious problem in the future. Thanks again. Wesste

Hello All, I am a student in the process of completing an MSc in Arboriculture and Urban Forestry at Myerscough College. As part of this course I am required to conduct a research project. I am currently researhing a particular disease of Holly trees; Holly leaf blight. I am conducting a practical experiment investigating the effects of induced climatic conditions on infected Holly saplings and monitoring the results. I am also conducting a survey of industry professionals to gather thoughts and opinions about this particular pathogen as this disease has received limited research to date. If you could complete the survey below, I would be very grateful and it should only take between 10-15 minutes. I have also included a brief description about the disease for reference. Description: Holly leaf blight (Phytophthora ilicis) is a fungus-like micro-organism which is a specific disease of Holly trees. The disease generally causes leaf dieback and premature leaf-fall, but can also affect young stems. The symptoms, as shown in the image below, are dark blotches or areas of leaf necrosis often with a distinctive dark band around the infected area. Similarly on young stems the infection is identified by a ‘blackening’ and necrosis. In hedgerows it can cause an inverted V shape where lower leaves have died. Survey link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Gab1qfcD4v5bo9eu74O_19b0wAAG56tuNM-Uz5gstR0/viewform Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey and if you have any questions please contact me. Cheers. Steve.

Early studies suggested that cutting away the lesions of canker with a sterilised blade would work, however I think that experts have gone back on this suggestion. Also there has been work into the use of a copper fungicide with mixed results. Also work has been done to see if a phosphite that aids the trees natural defences works.... again with mixed results (seems to work against oomycete fungi!?). Personally, I would just monitor it for safety reasons, looking at the health of the scaffold limbs as these are prone to snap out.... As trees with just trunk infections can survive for many years. Other than that, see my past post about work by Percival. Hope that helps Wesste

Pretty sure Dr. G. Percival has carried out recent experiments looking at nutrient deficiencies in soil, and how applying fertiliser, soil de-compaction, improved drainage and controlling C.ohridella can aid HC defense and resistance to BC...... the results seem pretty convincing... Hope this helps. Information was found in Arb Journal. Wesste

Doug, Yer thanks for the suggestion.... Literally just had a talk yesterday on finding information (typical!). Others that were suggested were sciencedirect, land life and leisure and the ones you suggested. Have found that sciencedirect seems to hold the most relevant ones..... Ste.

Thanks for the help. Will try and get my work published on here somehwere if I can do it legally. Steve

Hey guys, I am literally just starting a dissertation on HCLM and bleeding canker, and the negative impact it is having on the trees, sadly I can't carry out my own research/surveys..... however after reading all the posts it appears that you are an educated bunch, so was wondering if you could point me in the direction to find relevant articles and journals!? I have already trawled through endless copies of Arboricultural Journal, and have just started going through http://www.forestresearch.gov but if anyone else has any other information I would really really appreciate it. Also if you have any information but do not know where you read/found it could you put your name and job title afterwards for my referencing purposes please. Thanks again Steve.