ICFR CENTRAL INTEREST GROUP FIELD DAY Date: Tuesday 20 th March 2007 Venue: CTC’s Longridge Plantation, Paulpietersburg Time: 08h30 for 09h00 PROGRAMME 08h30 Meet for at Estate Office for tea and coffee Indoor Presentations 09h00 Welcome to the field day Siggie von Fintel TWK 09h10 Introduction to CTC’s Longridge Plantation Edwin Schramm CTC The Pine Fusarium Working Group of SA: “The road 09h30 Paul Viero ICFR ahead” One year survival results from Pinus patula survival 09h45 Jacob Crous Sappi monitoring plots in Mpumalanga Post-establishment weed control in pine and 10h00 Keith Little ICFR eucalypt stands Cooldrinks 10h30 Travel to 1 st field stop InInIn-In ---fieldfield PPPresentationsPresentations 11h00 Visit to CTC’s E. smithii site Richard Liversage CTC 11h30 Travel to second field stop Sirex in South Africa – The status of the threat and Colin Dyer & 11h45 ICFR its control Philip Croft Investigating the environmental adaptation of promising sub-tropical and cold-tolerant eucalypt 12h15 Robin Gardner ICFR species in the warm temperate climate zone of KwaZulu-Natal: four year results of trials. Update on the growth potential of non-commercial 12h45 eucalypt species in the summer rainfall regions of Chris Komakech MondiBP South Africa (E. bicostata and E. nobilis) 13h15 Return to Estate Office for Lunch sponsored by CTC, NCT & TWK Directions to CTC Longridge: 1.1.1. Travelling from Vryheid to Paulpietersburg, approx 36km from Vryheid turn left at the CTC Longridge signboard, onto a dirt road (will be signposposted).ted). 2.2.2. Travel approx 5km following the main road to the Estate Office (signposted). The next ICFR Regional Interest Group Field Day will be held at Kwambonambi, Zululand on 333rdrdrd MayMay.... For more information contact Denis Oscroft ( ([email protected]@[email protected])))) ICFR Central Region Field Day © ICFR 2007 Page 1 AnAnAn introduction to CTC’s Longridge Plantation Edwin Schramm ([email protected]) Central Timber Co-operative (Ltd), P O Box 495 Pietermaritzburg, 3200 Longridge Estate In 1995, CTC, together with Sumitomo Corporation and Nippon Paper commissioned a study to identify 10000 ha of suitable land for plantation investment in the Vryheid and Paulpietersburg area. From this study, a joint plantation scheme called Forest Resources (Pty) Ltd was established in 1996, with CTC maintaining a major shareholding in the scheme. Through this venture Longridge Estate, comprising 3668 ha of land, was purchased in 1996. It has 1700 ha of multiple gum species, 465 ha of pine and 390 ha of wattle. On average it harvests 3 500 tons of wattle and 25 000 tons of gum per annum. At its peak the Estate sold 55 000 tons of gum in 2003. Since inception it has sold 250 000 tons of hardwood to CTC Richards Bay. Longridge is both ISO 14001 and FSC certified and is managed according sound forestry standards and principles. It has to contend with a wide range of growing conditions and therefore ensures sound implementation of site specific silvicultural operations. 1 2 3 Longridge turnoff 1. Field stop 1 ( E. smithii ) 2. Field stop 2 (Sirex update ( P. elliottii stand) 3. Field stop 3 Eucalypt alternate and cold tolerant species update ( E. badjensis stand) © ICFR 2007 Page 3 ICFR Central Regional Field Day The Pine Fusarium Working Group of SA: “The road ahead” Paul Viero ([email protected]) Institute for Commercial Forestry Research, PO Box 100281, Scottsville 3209 Introduction It is now globally acknowledged that the Pitch Canker Fungus ( Fusarium circinatum ) can be regarded as one of the most serious threats to the softwood forestry industry. It is believed the fungus originated in Mexico from where it spread to the South-East USA (1946), Western USA (1985), Japan (1989), and South Africa (1990) before being recently identified in Chile (2001). In the USA, the pathogen has reached epidemic proportions, severely affecting mature stands. Symptoms of the disease in the nursery first appear approximately four months from the date of sowing and death usually occurs within a month. The growing tip of the seedling begins to droop and discolouration (purpling) of the stem and needles follow. In South Africa, root die-back will occur during the early stages of infection but may not be noticed until plants are removed from the trays. The pine species most susceptible to this pathogen in South Africa are Pinus radiata and Pinus patula with Pinus elliottii and Pinus tecunumanii showing higher signs of tolerance. Fusarium circinatum can be water borne, air borne, soil borne and seed borne. Its introduction into South Africa was originally through infected seed, however its subsequent mode of distribution within the country has probably been air borne (spores) through the movement of infected plants and trays between nurseries and into the field. In the USA, the pathogen is spread predominantly by insect vectors in mature stands, whilst in South Africa insect vectors have not been conclusively linked to its spread. Until now, Fusarium circinatum has remained a nursery pathogen in South Africa, attacking primarily P. patula and P. radiata seedlings and cuttings with a seemingly increase in field mortality soon after out- planting (observed by many South African forestry companies). This has undoubtedly raised concern within the forestry industry fearing that this disease will at some stage progress into mature stands if action is not taken to curb its spread. As a result the Pine Fusarium Working Group (PFWG) was initiated in 2000 by a group of concerned nurserymen and researchers from the various sectors within the forestry industry, with the aims of: 1. Ensuring the long-term availability of Pinus patula as a preferred species for future afforestation; 2. Developing practical protocols/guidelines and methods to assist nurserymen and foresters in the raising (nursery) and re-establishment (field) of Pinus patula; 3. Sharing information and experience on the management of Fusarium circinatum with all Pine growers in South Africa; and 4. Pooling current knowledge and experience through open communication and trust between members. In the short-term, good, strict nursery hygiene combined with the responsible use of environmentally acceptable fungicides is the approach advocated by the PFWG to South African nurserymen. Good nursery hygiene efforts include: 1. Using sterilised plastic trays and whenever possible only using new polystyrene trays for P. patula ; 2. Removing accumulated bark media from beneath the beds that could harbour spores; 3. Routinely administering a sterilant to the areas beneath the beds, to pathways and vehicles moving through the nursery; 4. Spraying a number of environmentally safe fungicides, on a rotational basis, to ensure that resistance by the pathogen does not develop to any one fungicide; and 5. Removing all dying material on a regular (daily/weekly) basis, carrying it away from the nursery and burning it. It was through these initiatives (and others) that the PFWG in conjunction with the Seedling Growers Association of SA compiled and successfully initiated Section 19 of the Nursery Certification programme. This is a programme whereby nurseries producing pine seedlings are audited on an annual basis and are ICFR Central Region Field Day © ICFR 2007 Page 4 certified as to complying with a minimum set of standards for the management of Fusarium circinatum within the nursery environment. The PFWG has been (and currently is) involved in many other initiatives in order to reduce the incidence of spread of this disease, with some of the currently more noteworthy being: • Determining effective, environmentally safe chemicals to control future outbreaks (including the process of registering fungicide/s for use against Fusarium circinatum ); • Drawing up a Monitoring Protocol for the gathering of data relevant to the intensity and spread of Fusarium circinatum in South Africa; and • The implementation of these monitoring plots (currently in progress). This pathogen spreads unseen to the eye (unlike Sirex ), and is difficult and complicated to understand making it very difficult to control. It is important to understand that Fusarium circinatum is here to stay and if left unchecked could result in far greater devastation to the softwood industry than Sirex . Early indications suggest that Fusarium circinatum will move from being a primarily “nursery type” of pathogen to one of the field (full blown PCF in mature trees). The PFWG has realised the serious predicament potentially facing the forestry industry and decided (in principle) to re-evaluate their mission and aim with the intention of aligning itself closer to the important issues surrounding the eventual emergence of full blown PCF without necessarily compromising on current short term aims and objectives. Take home points Fusarium circinatum in its full blown form (Pitch Canker Fungus) in mature pine trees may be regarded as one of the most serious threats to the softwood forestry industry in SA and world wide. The PFWG in SA comprises of (and was initiated by) a group of concerned nurserymen and researchers from various sectors within the forestry industry. The primary aim/role of the PFWG is to implement effective short term strategies to confine the pathogen (as far as possible) to the nursery through strict hygiene protocols. In this regard the PFWG in association with the SGASA have successfully implemented Section 19 within the Nation Certification Programme to manage Fusarium circinatum . A further need to gather information regarding the intensity and spread of Fusarium circinatum in SA is of primary importance (Concept of Monitoring Plots and timeous implementation thereof). Understanding the potential threat of PCF to the pine industry has resulted in the PFWG re- assessing its current role within the forestry industry. ICFR Central Region Field Day © ICFR 2007 Page 5 One year survival results from Pinus patula survival monitoring plots in Mpumalanga Jacob Crous ([email protected]) Sappi Forests Research, P.O.