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Disease Management

Tropical forests cleared for planting must be carefully surveyed for trees and stumps with signs or symptoms of brown root rot. Partial success has been obtained by pushing diseased trees and stumps into piles with a tractor and burning them. Some infected roots and debris will still remain in the soil, however, so newly planted trees that develop symptoms should be removed, roots and all, as quickly as possible. Leaving land fallow for several years or planting annual crops with vigorous root systems to break down remaining debris may offer the best approaches but they are seldom practiced due to economic considerations.

Decreasing root contact reduces spread of the fungus. This is especially important in monocultures (see lesson on Dutch elm disease), as disease usually spreads faster in single-species plantings than in mixed-species plantings. Trees should be planted close enough together for maximum yield but far enough apart to minimize root contact. Thinning to remove large diameter trees reduces disease spread by removing their extensive root systems.

Chemical control is not economical on a large scale and tree varieties of important crop species resistant to Phellinus noxius have not been developed. Future solutions may be found in genetic engineering or classic biological control methods.