[NAFEX] Walnut twig beetle and Thousand Cankers Disease found in TN

Lon J. Rombough lonrom at hevanet.com
Fri Jul 30 14:59:48 EDT 2010


This would be a good time to start screening all Juglans species for 
sources of resistance.  Especially ones known to cross readily with J. 
nigra.  With the long generation time, it is vital to start producing 
resistant J. nigra types ASAP.
-Lon Rombough
Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at 
http://www.bunchgrapes.com  Winner of the Garden Writers Association 
"Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003.
Grape pruning video: http://www.bunchgrapes.com/dvd.html View a short, 
low resolution clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q58zFY0B1M
A video about The Grape Grower : 
http://cookingupastory.com/index.php/2008/04/18/the-grape-grower/

On Jul 30, 2010, at 7:30 AM, Dr. Lucky Pittman wrote:

Received this notice from my friend Guy Sternberg, over one of the oak 
discussion lists this morning.
 
July 26, 2010
 
RE:  Walnut twig beetle and Geosmithia sp. nov. found in Tennessee
 
To Whom It May Concern:
 
This letter is to inform you that a black walnut (Juglans nigra) sample 
collected by Dr. Scott Schlarbaum, University of Tennessee, and 
suspected of having thousand cankers disease (TCD), was shipped to me 
at Colorado State University on July 20, 2010 and arrived July 22nd.   
I have a federal  ‘unknown’ permit and a federal permit to receive 
samples containing Geosmithia within the continental United States. The 
Tennessee sample sent to me contained one adult male beetle that was 
verified as Pityophthorus juglandis by Drs. Whitney Cranshaw, Boris 
Kondratieff and  Don Bright.  Isolations were attempted from the 
cankers surrounding the beetle galleries in the branch samples and 
Geosmithia sp nov.  was isolated. The fungus was identified based on 
morphological features by me.
 
This is a significant discovery because it is the first report of the 
walnut twig beetle and Geosmithia sp. nov. in the native range of J. 
nigra.  TCD has killed thousands of walnut trees in the western United 
States and could potentially be devastating in the eastern United 
States as well.  The extent of outbreak in the Knoxville area is 
unknown to me, but Dr. Schlarbaum indicated the affected trees are in 
an urban area. Judging from the images accompanying the sample, the 
disease has been present in the region for a number of years and is 
causing mortality.
 
Based on our experience here in Colorado TCD will be difficult, if not 
impossible, to stop. Our hope is that the beetle and disease will 
behave differently in the East.   I believe that there are probably 
other outbreaks in the East that have not yet been noticed, and I would 
urge foresters and diagnosticians to be on the lookout for unusual 
dieback or mortality of walnuts, especially in urban areas.  That is 
where TCD is likely to occur first because of movement of the beetle in 
wood (firewood, fresh lumber).  .
 
Since the USDA has no federal quarantine on TCD, and to my knowledge 
this disease is not on any action  lists,  I will assume unless 
otherwise notified, that information concerning this outbreak in 
Tennessee can become public knowledge immediately. Perhaps the state 
regulatory agencies will be more proactive in dealing with TCD than 
USDA-APHIS.  My colleague, Dr. Whitney Cranshaw will be giving a 
lecture on TCD at the International Society of Arboriculture meeting 
tomorrow, July 27, 2010, and will disclose the new outbreak at that 
time unless specifically requested not to do so.  I will be lecturing 
to the NPDN diagnosticians on Thursday and will similarly discuss the 
new outbreak.
 
If there is any way Dr. Cranshaw or I can help with training, sharing 
our experiences with TCD, etc., please let us know.  We are hoping to 
visit the Knoxville area on August 10.
 
Ned Tisserat

  Extension Specialist and Professor of Plant Pathology
------------------------------------------------------
In a message dated 7/29/2010 10:17:34 P.M. Central Daylight Time, 
Strhlfrst at aol.com writes:
>
>
> Not oak, but deadly serious. Black Walnut Thousand Cankers (KC) blight 
> has jumped the final fail-safe barrier (the habitat gap of the Great 
> Plains) and is now established in central Tennessee. Barring a 
> miracle, this could mean the extinction of Juglans nigra throughout 
> its native range. See report below.
> Guy S.
> -------------------
> Thousand cankers disease (TCD) of walnut has been confirmed in 
> Tennesee.  I suggest that you stay in touch with your state department 
> of agriculture colleagues for any updates that may come through APHIS 
> PPQ.  Currently there is no federal quarantine for the pathogen or the 
> insect vector.  According to the attached note from Ted Nisserat at 
> Colorado State University who, along with colleagues confirmed the 
> presence of both Geosmithia sp. and the beetle Pityophthorus 
> juglandisfrom a sample sent by Dr. Scott Schlarbaum (Univ TN), the 
> pathogen has been in the Knoxville area for several years causing 
> decline and mortality.  This is, of course, the first report of the 
> presence of the disease within the native range of J. nigra.   I'll 
> continue to pass along to you any additional information about the 
> find.  If you haven't been thinking about thousand cankers disease in 
> your survey and monitoring activities now might be a good time to 
> revisit that.  I've attached an analysis of the potential impacts of 
> TCD prepared by the Kansas Forest Service and Kansas State University 
> this past March to give you some idea of the scope of effects.     
> Also attached is the pest alert that we prepared this spring.      
> Stay tuned.
>
>  ________________________________________
>
>  Noel F. Schneeberger, Forest Health Program Leader
>  USDA Forest Service
>  Forest Health and Economics
>  11 Campus Blvd., Suite 200
>  Newtown Square, PA 19073
>  610.557.4121
>  610.557.4136 (fax)
>  email:  nschneeberger at fs.fed.us
>   
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