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A tree is infected with the fungal pathogen that causes pine ghost canker, which can be fatal for trees. Researchers say the pathogens, which can harm tree crops and vines, have been found in urban forest areas and could spread.
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Fungi found in SoCal urban trees could infect tree crops and vines
Fungal pathogens that cause die-back in grapes, avocados, citrus, nuts and other crops have found a new host and are infecting conifer trees, causing pine ghost canker in urban forest areas of Southern California. The canker can be deadly to trees. Scientists from the University of California, Davis, first spotted evidence that the pathogens had moved to pines during a routine examination of trees in Orange County. Over four years, they found that more than 30 mature pines had been infected in an area of nearly 100 acres, according to a report in the journal Plant Disease. Akif Eskalen, a professor of Cooperative Extension in the Department of Plant Pathology at UC Davis, said he suspects drought and other stress conditions brought on by climate change weakened the tree species, making it more sus- ceptible to new threats. “We have been seeing this on pine trees for the last several years,” he said. “Our common crop pathogens are finding new hosts.” Pine ghost canker—caused by the fungal pathogens Neofusicoccum mediterraneum and Neofusicoccum parvum—usually infects the low- er part of a tree’s canopy, killing branches before moving on to the trunks. This die-back in some cases can be deadly. The pathogens infect a tree by entering through wounds caused by either insects such as red- haired pine bark beetles or pruning—meaning trees in managed or landscaped areas could be at risk. Another route is via tiny natural open- ings known as lenticels that fungi can make their
way through, said Marcelo Bustamante, a Ph.D. candidate in Eskalen’s lab who is first author on the paper. Spores from the fungi can disperse, and the higher the prevalence means an increased chance of transmission. Rain, irrigation water and humid- ity by fog can trigger the right circumstances for the spores to spread, he said. “The detection of these pathogens in urban forests raises concerns of potential spillover events to other forest and agricultural hosts in Southern California,” Bustamante and others wrote in the report. Dead branches can indicate a canker. Detecting the fungi is not an emergency, but “people should keep an eye on their plants when they see abnor- malities,” Eskalen said. Cankers are localized areas on stems, branches and tree trunks that are usually dead, discolored and sunken. On bark, the spores can look like strings of discolored dots. The lab has posted a brochure about how to best manage wood canker diseases. Tips include: • Keep trees healthy: Proper irrigation and maintenance will keep trees strong. • Prune dead branches to reduce sources of infestation. • Avoid unnecessary pruning; perform struc- tural pruning only. (This article was originally published by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.)
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March 8, 2023 Ag Alert 23
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