new disease could spell the end of ash!

Oldtree

Article in the Guardian recently about a fungus that has already killed 90% of ash trees in Denmark over the past seven years has now been detected in a handful of locations in the UK.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/shortcuts/2012/sep/26/fungus-kill-third-britains-trees

http://www.woodlandtrust.presscentre.com/News-Releases/New-disease-could-spell-the-end-for-the-common-ash-c4e.aspx

info on disease:

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/chalara

A loss of Ash here on the scales predicted should the fungus arrive here, would be catastrophic for our woodlands and hedgerows.

There is no effective remedy apart from felling and burning affected trees and banning imports of live ash saplings from mainland Europe, where the fungus has taken hold.

Much now to be said about purchasing local provenance trees now.

memories of dutch elm disease seem to be coming to the fore.

oh bugger

CJhaughey

For a Country that depends on Agriculture as a huge part of the economy, Biosecurity is non-existent here compared with comparable islands.
NZ has huge Biosecurity in its ports and airports, we have a few customs guys worried about people bringing in fags.
If/When the Ash blight arrives here its going to make life very difficult.

Oldtree

A lot of the whips come from the mainland europe, much cheaper to import than to grow here, so I think its safe to assume that the disease is here somewhere. It was first documented in 2006 so the spread is very rapid, so not long to wait.

In australia they wet themselves if there is a bit of mud on the shoe comming into the country, cant say now that I disagree with their precautions.

I have been using my own ash seedlings to plant up but it was more for the local provenence idea than biosecurity.

I have an elm in the garden that I cosset, I found it in a wood in cong and it was about 3 inches tall. There were no others in the vacinity but I have found a few more since in the locality, now sub shrubs. I dont prune it and it is surrounded by other trees so I'm hoping the beetle wont sniff it out. I heard of studies into resistant elms here but they kept all their trees below 1.5m in height as that was the beetles flying height. I've let mine grow and its now 12 foot high, so fingers crossed.

robp

These issues never seem to be dealt with the urgency they require.
I am here in Central Europe and I haven't noticed major signs here yet. Yet, maybe the ash here is not imported.

Oldtree

Update from Woodland Trust as of yesterday:

On 04 October The (UK) Government announced details of a consultation into a full ban on importing ash to prevent ash die back (Chalara Fraxinea)

Norman Starks, UK Operations Director at the Woodland Trust said: “This is not a minute too soon. The Trust called for a full immediate ban on imported ash trees last week and welcomes the consultation. We expect a decision to be made swiftly and decisively following the 26 October deadline before the tree planting season starts. The Trust will no longer plant imported ash trees on our estate and is reducing the number of ash to be planted this season by 100,000 trees. We are committed to working with the industry to do everything possible to prevent the further spread of ash dieback and protect one of the nation’s most common native trees.”

http://www.woodlandtrust.presscentre.com/News-Releases/New-disease-could-spell-the-end-for-the-common-ash-c4e.aspx

I guess its a start.

Oldtree

robp wrote: »

These issues never seem to be dealt with the urgency they require.
I am here in Central Europe and I haven't noticed major signs here yet. Yet, maybe the ash here is not imported.

Abstract for you see from 2011 (see attached):

Ash dieback is currently one of the most important tree diseases in Germany. A countrywide distribution is already assumed. Trees of all ages on various site types are affected in forests and the landscape, as well as in nurseries and urban plantings. Initially economic losses were most severe in Northern Germany, but damage has increased in all regions. In several parts of Germany, surveys have been started during the past few years. In North-East Germany, where the disease was first observed, conditions on various sites were compared to identify the characteristics which influence the disease occurrence and severity.

periodictable

Thanks for highlighting Oldtree-my thanks button missing....

I seem to remember Dermot McAree was tough on inspections of lumber and stock into the state, but I wonder with the recent finding of bark covered firewood in one of the major supermarket chains, the suspicion that Phytopthera has been brought in on imported rhododendron and the massive container importation of ash for firewood and hurleys if there is any monitoring going on.I note from the map that it's been in Poland for 20 years, and that's where the firewood is coming in from.
We have stringent food protection, and I want the same for our forest resource.
It's about time for the Forest Service Inspectors to pull their heads out of their collective ass, stop nit picking on minutiae like a forgotten planting bag or a miscoloured line on a map and to get back into the field and do some meaningful work.
You're well paid and insulated so show us you merit your pay.

Oldtree

You will be delighted :rolleyes: to know that:

Phytophthora ramorum has "several findings of the disease in Ireland each year in nurseries and garden centres, which are quickly eradicated."

http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/farmingsectors/planthealthandtrade/PPINPhytophthoraramorumFeb2012.pdf

and ash dieback gets a mention in this 2007 coford publication:

http://www.coford.ie/media/coford/content/publications/newsletter/vol72007/November2007.doc

but there are very good pictures and details of ash dieback in this Teagasc publication:

http://www.teagasc.ie/publications/2012/1121/Heinrich_Loesing.pdf

zetecescort

Heard from a neighbour that Horse Chestnuts (conkers) were being attacked by a disease lately. any truth?

mountainy man

zetecescort wrote: »

Heard from a neighbour that Horse Chestnuts (conkers) were being attacked by a disease lately. any truth?

yes, Bleading canker.

Thargor

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/07/disease-killing-denmarks-ash-trees

Is this in Ireland already? Is it inevitable that its going to come here? Our house and fields are surrounded by lovely big ash trees, would be gutted if they died out

periodictable

Oldtree wrote: »

You will be delighted :rolleyes: to know that:

Phytophthora ramorum has "several findings of the disease in Ireland each year in nurseries and garden centres, which are quickly eradicated."

No wonder the country is in bits if that's the best we can come up with in forestry. They kept the ramorum in Killarney national park quiet for a long, long time and that's been going on for almost 10 years.
Lunatics running the asylum unfortunately.

manjou

Have noticed elm trees starting to reappear where all the old ones used to be along the hedges etc must be growing from the roots.A lot of ash planted last few years so this diease will do alot of damage.There should be better check on timber comming into country to try and stop these dieases comming in.Dident alot of cheerys die a few years ago as well and had to be replanted with other specicies alot of sycamore in trouble to not worth thinning.

periodictable

manjou wrote: »

Have noticed elm trees starting to reappear where all the old ones used to be along the hedges etc must be growing from the roots.A lot of ash planted last few years so this diease will do alot of damage.There should be better check on timber comming into country to try and stop these dieases comming in.Dident alot of cheerys die a few years ago as well and had to be replanted with other specicies alot of sycamore in trouble to not worth thinning.

The elms seem to regenerate from suckers, grow to maybe 6-7 m then become susceptible to fungal attack which will kill these young trees, and the cycle of suckering will start again.
I think we need to face up to facts and say that phytosanitary inspections are falling below par, but also a question for foresters is whether they are actually planting the right trees in the right places, particularly where broadleaves are concerned? Over the last 20 years, if some land coming up for planting has a patch of mineral soil, regardless of the quality, ash, sycamore oak and cherry are put in to bump up the grant, the premium and I have to say to fulfill the dubious requirements of the "environmental" quotient of broadleaves. Seems to me if one knows anything about trees, and one has a particularly poor mineral soil, the choice is rowan, one of the alders, hazel and perhaps birch, all pioneer trees meaning that they are the first trees to colonise bare ground, and will eventually improve it, allowing a succession of trees with greater site requirements.

periodictable

Here's a link from the Irish Times on diseased Horse Chestnut and claims that we have sacrificed out plant health in favor of free trade.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/magazine/2012/1013/1224325160094.html