Thousand Cankers Disease (TCD) Simeon Wright Forest Pathologist Missouri Dept. of Conservation November 6, 2015
Outline Background Monitoring for TCD Survey challenges Experience and research in other states Eastern US vs. Western US Outreach Regulation Other research activities
States Known to Have Thousand Cankers Disease (TCD) D States known to have TCD D States not known to have TCD D States known to have walnut twig beetle or G. morbida 0 240 480 960 Miles Europe: Italy is known to have TCD.
TCD: slow walnut/butternut mortality from Walnut twig beetles tunnel under bark Whitney Cranshaw Dark canker forms around tunnels Whitney Cranshaw
Why the concern? Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA ) data, number of black walnut >5 dbh in forests, J. Van Sambeek, 2011
Impact of TCD MO: $851 million over 20 years (Treiman and Tuttle, 2009) Wood products losses Nut production losses Urban tree losses
Monitoring Pheromone-baited walnut twig beetle traps Visual surveys Branch examination
MDA and MDC in 2015 5 surveyors 44 counties 341 visual surveys 185 traps 17 branch samples Funding: USDA Farm Bill, USDA FS, state funds
Survey History 1566 visual surveys (since 2010) 618 traps (since 2012)
Traps effective ~ 30 feet Survey Challenges Traps require biweekly servicing through season (May-August) Many declining walnut trees in MO without TCD TCD negative tree in MO TCD positive tree in east TN
Survey challenges Branch sampling getting the right branch! Culturing Can take 2 + hrs/sample High % negative cankers
TCD detected in Knox County TN 8/5/2010 TCD is difficult to detect! Usually well-established Delimiting established infestations is ongoing 2014: 9 TCD Positive counties 22 TN counties positive for walnut twig beetle (Rugman-Jones et al, 2015)
Tree Recovery? TN and VA little symptom progression over 3 years Drought or poor site factors? More research needed TCD Positive Tree in TN 9/15/2010 Same TCD Positive Tree in TN 8/29/2013 Griffin et al. 2014
East Tennessee Record Drought US Drought Monitor September 2007 August 2008 Abnormally Dry Drought - Moderate Drought - Severe Drought - Extreme Drought - Exceptional
Ohio: TCD detected in Butler Co, 2013 Walnut twig beetle capture plummeted in 2014, 2015 US Drought Monitor August 2012 Abnormally Dry Drought - Moderate Drought - Severe Drought - Extreme Drought - Exceptional
Indiana Situation: No TCD in Indiana Geosmithia morbida (TCD fungus) on a weevil (2013) Juzwik et al. 2015 X X Stenomimus pallidus Copyright 2011 Janet C. Ciegler Walnut twig beetles found at a mill, no infested trees (2015)
TCD: More than walnut twig beetle and G. morbida? 2014 Ohio study Multiple insect species emerged from TCD positive trees G. morbida was confirmed on: Xylosandrus crassiusculus Pest and Disease library, bugwood.org Xyleborinus saxeseni Pest and Disease library, bugwood.org Stenomimus pallidus J. C. Ciegler, West Columbia, SC
TCD: A complex of insects and fungi? Ohio study: Multiple fungi isolated from TCD positive trees 3 plant pathogens from cankers: Geosmithia morbida Fusarium solani Botryosphaeria dothidea Denita Hadziabdic, University of Tennessee
Will new detection technologies help? Molecular test developed in Tennessee Identify G. morbida from a few wood chips Still need to find the right canker
Will new detection technologies help? Improved walnut twig beetle traps tree volatiles fungal volatiles Dr Steve Seybold, USDA FS PSW
TCD in East vs West East West TCD Detection Difficult Easy Walnut Distribution Widespread Pockets in urban areas Mortality Slow? Rapid
TCD Monitoring Summary TCD symptoms may take several years to develop No early detection technology Eradication unlikely in Eastern US More research is needed Surveys are important!
Outreach is critical! Multiple introductions of TCD into eastern US. Woodworkers, Industry, Campers 23,040 Beetles/2 logs Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University Firewood Woodworking wood Natural spread = 100 years Knoxville, TN to MO Movement by humans = less than a day
Reports requested from the Public Website reporting form, forest.health@mdc.mo.gov Toll Free 1-866-716-9974 Contact local forester
Regulation Banned from states where TCD detected: Untreated walnut Hardwood firewood Quarantine rule: http://mda.mo.gov/pl ants/pests/exteriorqua rantinelaw.pdf
Other Research Defining susceptibility of black walnut germplasm Detection technology Biological control Phytosanitary treatments Treatments for high value TCD positive trees
Questions? EAB University October 29 th, 2015 Walnut Twig Beetle & Thousand Cankers Update, Dr. Matt Ginzel Citations Griffin, G. J. 2014. Status of thousand cankers disease on eastern black walnut in the eastern United States at two locations over 3 years. For. Path. doi:10.1111/efp.12154 Juzwik, J., Banik, M. T., Reed, S. E., English, J. T., and Ginzel, M. D. 2015. Geosmithia morbida found on weevil species Stenomimus pallidus in Indiana. Plant Health Progress doi:10.1094/php-rs-14-0014 Reed, S.E., Juzwik, J., English, J.T., and Ginzel, M.D. 2015. Colonization of artificially stressed black walnut trees by ambrosia beetle, bark beetle, and other weevil species in Indiana and Missouri. Environ. Entomol. doi: 10.1093/ee/nvv126 Rugman-Jones PF, Seybold SJ, Graves A.D., Stouthamer R. 2015. Phylogeography of the Walnut Twig Beetle, Pityophthorus juglandis, the Vector of Thousand Cankers Disease in North American Walnut Trees. PLoS ONE 10(2): e0118264. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0118264