Rose rosette is a novel threat to seemingly all cultivars of roses, even those previously known and used specifically for their disease resistance. Symptoms include: increased shoot elongation, reddish discoloration of shoots and foliage, abundant clustering of small shoots (also called “witches broom”), spiraling growth of main stem, less space between leaf shoots, distorted leaves, prolific…
The pathogen that causes boxwood blight, Calonectria pseudonaviculata, is able to infect every species in the Buxaceae family. A recent article in Plant Health Progress, authored by Dr. Jim LaMondia of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES), states that both Allegheny spurge, Pachysandra procumbens, and the more commonly planted Japanese spurge, Pachysandra terminalis, are potential hosts for…
Laurel wilt is a disease affecting redbay (Persea borbonia) which is a facultative wetland shrub or small tree throughout much of its range. This disease is caused by the introduction of a non-native fungus (Raffaelea lauricola) via the invasive ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus). Laurel wilt compromises the ability of the plant to uptake and transport water, causing leaves…
Plant pest prevention, disease management and disaster prevention programs implemented by the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS), funded by the Farm Bill, help to protect our natural and agricultural resources from foreign pest threats through pest surveys, identification, inspection, mitigation, risk analysis, public education and outreach. These programs…
Sudden Oak Death (SOD), caused by the fungus Phytophthora ramorum was first detected in California in 1995. Since that time the disease has spread to 14 counties and killed millions of oak trees, including species such as; tanoak, coastal live oak, California black oak, shreve oak and canyon live oak. It was also found to cause twig and…
The greatest threat to the sustainability of this country’s forests and probably the number one challenge for land managers is not forest fires, as may be perceived by the public, but insect infestations and the spread of disease. Insects and disease do not get the media coverage that fires do, but the National Report on…
During the recent boxwood blight scare the Plant Diagnostics Lab at Rutgers University was flooded with samples of possibly infected boxwood awaiting their final word, but along with those specimens came bits of diseased pachysandra. The fear, they supposed, was that homeowners and arborists thought the pachysandra were suffering from some disease that could possibly…
Beech bark disease has been causing mortality of American and European beech (Fagus grandifolia and Fagus sylvatica, respectively) trees since its discovery prior to 1849 in Europe, although until 1914 beech scale was solely being blamed. We now know that the cause is a combination of scale damage and fungal infection. Beech bark disease is caused when…
The USDA Forest Service manages a division tasked with monitoring forest health via aerial survey. The Forest Health Protection (FHP) staff is responsible for pest detection, reporting and forest management on federal, state and private lands. The FHP aviation program surveys forested land for insects and pests, performs aerial photography and conducts aerial applications, when…
Several minor, late season turf diseases have been reported found on lawns recently. Leaf spot and blight diseases such as Colletotrichum, Curvularia, Leptosphaerulina, and Ascochyta often develop as the result of long-term exposure to stress, like the end of summer that had variable periods of precipitation and high soil and air temperatures, such as the one we are currently…
