APS Abstracts of Presentations

Eradication of sudden oak death in Oregon. E. M. Goheen (1), E. M. HANSEN (2), A. Kanaskie (3), M. G. McWilliams (3), N. Osterbauer (4), and W. Sutton (2). (1) USDA Forest Service, SW Oregon Insect and Disease Service Center, Central Point, OR 97502; (2) Oregon State University, Dept. Botany and Plant Pathology, Corvallis, OR 97331; (3) Oregon Dept. Forestry; (4) Oregon Dept. Agriculture, Salem, OR 97310. Phytopathology 92:S30. Publication no. P-2002-0212-AMA.

Sudden oak death, caused by Phytophthora ramorum, was found in July 2001 near Brookings Oregon, killing tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus). This is the only US report of the disease outside of the San Francisco Bay area, California, 300 km to the south. Nine disease centers were located in mixed tanoak/Douglas-fir forests via the cooperative aerial survey flown by the USDA Forest Service and Oregon Dept. of Forestry. Disease centers included 5 to 40 diseased trees. P. ramorum was isolated from tanoak stem cankers and from foliage and shoots of native Rhododendron and Vaccinium. All lands within 1 mile of the disease centers are subject to Oregon and APHIS quarantine, barring the transport of host materials. An eradication effort followed by intensive monitoring of treated and perimeter areas is underway. All symptomatic and adjacent host plants in the treated areas have been cut and burned on a total area of about 16 ha.

Copyright 2002 by The American Phytopathological Society. All rights reserved.