The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station 123 HUNTINGTON STREET BOX 1106 NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT 06504 Founded 1875 Putting science to work for society CONNECTICUT REPORT TO THE EASTERN PLANT BOARD - 2009 PORTLAND, MAINE SUMMARY OF 2008 NURSERY INSPECTIONS, FOREST INSECT/PLANT PEST SURVEYS & APIARY INSPECTION ACTIVITIES NURSERY INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION Three-hundred and five nurseries were certified to conduct intra- and interstate business. There were 636 nursery inspections during the growing season. Eight-thousand, Four-hundred and sixty-one acres of nursery stock were examined as well as plants growing under 32,737,495-sq. ft. of greenhouse space. The majority of plants were grown in hoop houses (28,408,332 sq. ft.), followed by plastic greenhouses (2,627,263 sq. ft.) and glass greenhouses (1,701,900 sq. ft.). NURSERY INSECTS The most abundant pests found in nurseries were lacebug on Pieris, Rhododendron and Azalea, aphids on various trees and shrubs, mites on various trees and shrubs, black vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus) on Taxus, Arborvitae leafminer on Thuja and Hemlock eriophyid mites on Tsuga. JAPANESE BEETLE CERTIFICATION We observed treatments of 113,418 plants at one nursery and issued phytosanitary certificates to comply with states that quarantine nursery stock from Connecticut because of the Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica. One nursery, which met the containerized nursery stock accreditation program requirements of the United States Japanese Beetle Harmonization Plan, shipped 65 plants to other states in 2008. Five nurseries met other requirements of the United States Japanese Beetle Harmonization Plan and shipped 4,070 plants to states that quarantine plants from Connecticut. JAPANESE BEETLE CERTIFICATION TO CANADA Fifteen Connecticut nurseries, which met the inspection requirements of the US/Canada Japanese Beetle Harmonization Plan, shipped 149,963 plants to Canada in 2008. NURSERY DEALER PERMITS Nursery dealer permits were issued to 176 firms. One-hundred and fifty-four of these companies operate individual outlets. The remaining businesses have more than one outlet each. In total, there were 556 outlets. PHYTOSANITARY CERTIFICATES Four-hundred and fifty-one phytosanitary inspection certificates were issued covering the shipment of the following plant materials to destinations outside the United States: Plants Number Apples (Cartons) 10,000 Bulbs & Tubers (Dahlia & Gladiolas)(Bags) 680 American Chestnut (scions) 33 (seeds) 151 Chinese tree peonies (plants) 2 Greenhouse plants 101,272 Nursery stock (containers - B & B) 27,175 (bare root plants) 16 (unrooted cuttings) 48 Lumber (pieces) 1,281 Orchids (plants & flasks) 4,322 Perennials (bare root plants) 4,072 (plants) 21,279 Seeds (cartons & bags) 216 Tobacco (bales, boxes, bundles & cartons) 206,529 Tobacco (Reconstituted) (Cartons) 48 SPECIAL INSPECTIONS 1. Eleven inspections were made for 89 individual plants and bulbs to assist homeowners moving out of state. 2. One-hundred and ninety-eight Inspections were made to assist nurseries moving the following plants interstate: Plants Number Perennials (plants) 113,404 Nursery stock (containers) 96 (bare root plants) 1,500 (B & B) 935 Corn seed (pounds) 210 Geraniums 1,917 Greenhouse plants 639 Hemlock logs (Board feet) 100,000 Seed (Bags) 69 3. One tobacco grower had 120 acres inspected for the aerial application of pesticides. 4. Nine post-entry inspections were carried out on 5,052 plants at 3 locations. At three sites, 5,052 plants were released from quarantine. BIOTECHNOLOGY REGULATORY SERVICES INSPECTION ACTIVITY In cooperation with officers from the Wallingford USDA-APHIS-PPQ office, three inspections were conducted in 2008 at facilities or laboratories working with recombinant or regulated organisms. INSECT AND DISEASE SURVEYS FOREST HEALTH SURVEY During the summer of 2008 we examined 51 permanent, one-acre forest plots that were established to monitor forest health in Connecticut. These plots are located on state, Nature Conservancy, and municipal water company properties. We considered 25 pathogens for monitoring and determined which trees served as host plants. Within each plot, 20 to 30 trees were tagged for long-term studies. We evaluated signs of defoliation and disease, such as dead tree branches, limbs and crowns. Descriptions and determinations are designed to reflect increasing damage or tree decline. We measure the trees at Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) as an additional way to monitor their health. We will continue to use these plots to monitor the forests over several years to assess whether our state forests remain healthy or are declining. In general, our forests remain healthy. DEFOLIATION IN CONNECTICUT - 2008 GYPSY MOTH Our annual aerial survey for gypsy moth defoliation was conducted in July-August 2008 and covered 1.8 million acres of urban/suburban forest in all eight Connecticut counties. Gypsy moth defoliation of 13,625.4 acres was found in following counties: COUNTY TOTAL ACRES HARTFORD 2786.3 MIDDLESEX 50.7 NEW LONDON 7469.5 TOLLAND 2901.5 WINDHAM 417.4 13,625.4 In November and December, a gypsy moth egg mass survey was conducted in 80-95% favorable host sites on a 7 -mile grid (102 sites) throughout Connecticut. At three sites egg masses were found in sufficient numbers to cause defoliation in 2009. ORANGE-STRIPED OAKWORM The Orange-striped oakworm, Anisota senatoria, is a native moth that ranges from eastern Canada southward to Georgia. It is a common pest of oak species in Connecticut. Occasionally, local infestations occur when oaks have been stressed by other factors such as drought or gypsy moths. Serious defoliation can occur when this happens. The moths lay up to 500 eggs on the undersides of an oak leaves in early summer and are attracted to artificial light. The caterpillars feed on the foliage, and then they burrow into the soil and build an earthen cell, where it pupates and passes the winter. On October 2, 3, &10, 2007, a statewide aerial survey was conducted for orange-striped oakworm defoliation. Defoliation was found in Windham County (3,259.5acres) and in New London County (2,433.4 acres). Total acres defoliated were 5,692.9. FOREST TENT CATERPILLAR The Forest tent caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria, is a native insect found throughout the range of hardwood forests in North America. It is more abundantly distributed in eastern North America, but is also common in western areas that have large stands of aspen. At times, this insect can be a damaging defoliator of trees. Trees that are defoliated often flush a new, smaller set of leaves in July. While forest tent caterpillar does not typically cause mortality to host trees, mortality can occur when populations interact with other disturbances, such as drought or insect outbreaks. Forest tent caterpillar larvae use silk to form trails and to create pads on host trees where they congregate and rest. During 2008, an outbreak of Forest tent caterpillar resulted in the defoliation of 2,373.5 acres in Windham County. A total of 2,373.5 acres were defoliated. ASIAN LONGHORNED BEETLE The Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis, first discovered to be attacking trees in August of 1996 in New York, has spread to within 25 miles of Greenwich in southwestern Connecticut. There is risk for beetle entry in ports because of the transportation of solid wood packing material on ships coming from areas of the world where this beetle is found. We, therefore, concentrated additional survey efforts in Connecticut in the areas of Bridgeport, Groton, New Haven and New London as well as their surrounding parks that contain a high percentage of maple, a favorite food source of the Asian longhorned beetle. Asian Longhorned Beetle Survey 2008 County # Inspections # Trees Inspected # Infested Trees Fairfield 8 810 0 Middlesex 1 28 0 New Haven 8 690 0 New London 20 2,357 0 Totals 37 3,875 0 We also participated in a United States Forest Service survey in Southwestern Connecticut. We examined 300 Asian longhorned beetle host species trees in 18 square miles in Greenwich and Stamford. All surveys and identifications, thus far, were negative. We also inspected five trees for 2 homeowners in 2008. SEPTORIA LEAF SPOT OF MAPLE Rainy and cool weather throughout Connecticut during spring and summer created conditions ideal for the fungus known as Septoria aceris, which causes septoria leaf spot. A septoria infection is characterized by small brown spots rimmed with yellow when the leaves are still green. As the spots grow and merge, they perforate the leaves, resulting in premature leaf drop and defoliation. The long- term implications for the trees’ health are minimal. Damage due to Septoria Leaf Spot of maple was considerable enough to warrant mapping during aerial survey. Data are included on the defoliation map and are summarized below by county. COUNTY TOTAL ACRES Fairfield 1,820.2 Hartford 363.9 Litchfield 107.9 Middlesex 1,004.8 New Haven 4,028.3 New London 3,333.0 Tolland 1,712.2 Windham 3,055.3 TOTAL 15,425.6 HEMLOCK WOOLLY ADELGID The hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae, remains an important pest of hemlock in Connecticut, spreading northward since its coastal detection in 1985 and infesting all 169 towns in the state. During 2008, we required all hemlock nursery stock that was being shipped out of Connecticut to be treated for Hemlock woolly adelgid. Two nurseries shipped hemlock trees out of state. Our inspectors observed treatments and issued phytosanitary certificates to cover 940 plants in these shipments. We also certified 100,000 board feet of hemlock logs that were shipped to states with a quarantine. LIGHT BROWN APPLE MOTH In cooperation with the USDA-APHIS-PPQ office in Wallingford CT, twenty-five locations were selected for trapping for light brown apple moth (LBAM) in 2008. Trapping at ten nursery locations was conducted by USDA officers, and trapping at 15 orchard locations was conducted by CAES personnel. Traps were deployed for two-week intervals from July through September.