The
Christmas Tree:
RELATED SITES
Diseases
of noble and Fraser fir trees
With the increasing expansion of
noble and Fraser fir plantings, growers are facing a number of disease and
insect problems that are limiting their ability to meet the demand for
these high quality trees. There are currently three diseases that limit
the production of noble and Fraser fir Christmas trees. Noble and Fraser
fir are very susceptible to Phytophthora root rot and stem canker. In
addition, current season needle necrosis (CSNN) and interior needle blight
are also limiting the production of noble fir in the PNW.
Phytophthora
root rot and stem canker
Phytophthora root rot and stem
canker is one of the most important diseases of Abies fir species that
are grown as Christmas trees. For example, root rot, caused by Phytophthora
cinnamomi, and to a lesser extent, P. drechsleri and P.
citricola, is a serious problem on Fraser fir in nurseries and
Christmas tree plantations in western North Carolina (Benson et al., 1976,
Grand and Lapp, 1974, Kuhlman and Hendrex, 1963 and Shew and Benson,
1982).
| Phytophthora cinnamomi also causes root rot on balsam fir in North Carolina (Kenerley and Bruck, 1981). Phytophthora citricola causes root rot of white fir (A. concolor) and red fir (A. magnifica) in California (McCain and Scharpf, 1986). In Michigan, P. cactorum and P. citricola have been shown to cause root rot of Fraser fir, white fir, balsam fir, and noble fir seedlings in nurseries (Adams and Bielenin, 1988). |
Click image for more detail. |
Several species of Phytophthora are associated with serious diseases of conifers in the PNW. Phytophthora cryptogea, P. cactorum, P. gonapodyides, P. megasperma, P. pseudotsugae, and P. cinnamomi cause damage to a wide range of conifer seedlings in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia bareroot nurseries (Hamm and Hansen 1982, 1987, and 1991). These species, along with P. cambivora and P. citricola, have also been associated with a root rot and stem canker disease of noble fir in Christmas tree plantations (Chastagner et al., 1990a and 1995).
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