Evaluating effectiveness of girdle-herbicide containment of below-ground spread of oak wilt (Bretziella fagacearum)

8 S.

e-journal

200211155

Oaks (Quercus spp) are one of the most important sources of timber, mast for wildlife, and ecosystem services across the eastern US. Increasingly, this genus is at risk from diseases including oak wilt, which is one of the most serious threats to oaks, caused by the fungus, Bretziella fagacearum. The upper Midwest has over 5 million ha of oak forests, much of which is on rocky glaciated soils where traditional methods of containing below ground spread of oak wilt (e.g., vibratory plow lines) are not feasible. We evaluated an alternative containment method of girdling and herbicide (GH) of oak wilt infected trees as well as neighboring oak trees likely connected via root grafts.
Keywords: Bretziella fagacearum; Pathogens; Quercus; Red oak; Wisconsin, Oak wilt