Fact sheet

Pine pitch canker

Description pitch canker is a disease of which follows infection by the fungal pathogen circinatum. This is thought to have originated in Mexico. In the United States the disease was first recorded in 1946 and has also been recorded in Japan, South Africa, Chile, Spain and Italy. It can infect the vegetative and SOFTWOOD SPECIES reproductive parts of susceptible trees of all ages. The disease is associated with reduced wood production and can result in high levels of mortality causing substantial economic losses. Robyn Doyle, Forestry Tasmania Robyn Doyle, Forestry Primary hosts Needle discolouration and shoot dieback caused by Pine pitch canker on Radiata pine Some 57 species of Pinus are considered susceptible to F. circinatum as well as . Research suggests Radiata pine is likely to be the most susceptible species.

Symptoms Wilting and yellow-green discolouration of needles are usually the first symptoms of Pine pitch canker. Affected needles subsequently turn red, shoots droop and branch dieback occurs away from the point of infection. Branch dieback progresses throughout the crown. Copious resin typically bleeds from infection sites resulting in a characteristic honey-coloured appearance.

In young trees infection can occur close to ground level, Florida Department of Agriculture L Barnard, Edward and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org causing stem girdling and subsequent mortality. In older Resin soaked tissue trees large, sunken stem lesions can develop where the bark has been killed. Small, salmon pink fruiting structures called sporodochia may sometimes be observed on the bark of affected stems.

What it can be confused with Pitch canker can be confused with Shoot wilt caused by Diplodia sapinea, due to the general appearance of shoot blight and needle discolouration. However, Diplodia infection causes a characteristic blue stain in affected wood, and fruiting bodies are black.

Fusarium lateritium has been observed to cause similar

symptoms in Radiata pine in Tasmania, including shoot Tasmania Robyn Doyle, Forestry dieback, resinosis and visually identical sporodochia. Copious resin bleeding at infection site It can only be distinguished from F. circinatum by DNA analysis. Any suspect symptoms should be reported.

40 BIOSECURITY MANUAL FOR THE PLANTATION TIMBER INDUSTRY moist climates. expression islikelytobemore pronounced inwarm, can predispose trees toinfection.InAustralia,disease more conducivetoinfection.Various stress factors anything doneinreliance onthispublication. first obtainingprofessional advice.PlantHealthAustraliaand allpersonsactingforPlantHealthAustraliaexpressly disclaimliabilitywithrespect to Disclaimer: Thematerialinthispublicationisfor generalinformationonlyandnopersonshouldact,orfailtoactonthe basisofthismaterialwithout Australasian PlantPathology37:319–334. threat topineplantationsandforests worldwide. Pitch cankercausedbyFusariumcircinatum–agrowing ET, BDandCoutinhoTA Gordon TR,Wingfield (2008) MJ,Hammerbracher A,GanleyRJ,Steenkamp Wingfield handle/2263/25707/dissertation.pdf?sequence=1 http://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/ University ofPretoria, Pretoria. Available from Department ofMicrobiology andPlantPathology, Fusarium circinatum.MasterofSciencedissertation, Hammerbacher A(2006)Biologyandepidemiologyof http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr298 Florida, Florida.Available from of pines.PublicationnumberFOR236.University Dreaden TandSmithJ(2013)Pitchcankerdisease Further information 20–25 and infection.Idealtemperatures appeartobebetween Temperature andmoisture bothaffect spore germination cankers tendtoprogress fasterinspringthanautumn. branchtip the MediterraneanclimateofCalifornia, autumn, andcontinuethrough winterandspring.In In southeastUnitedStatessymptomsappearin Time ofyearpestismostlikelytobeseen Seedling tomature trees canbeinfected. Age ofplant branches, cones,seeds,stemsandexposedroots. all vegetativeandreproductive partsincludingshoots, older trees canbecomeinfected. Thediseasecaninfect the diseasereaches anadvanced statethemainstemin Needles andshootstypicallyshowsymptoms,butas Plant partshowingsymptoms o C, and high ambient humidity is generally C, andhighambienthumidityisgenerally

For more information visit Exotic PlantPestHotline If youseeanythingunusual,callthe Symptoms ofPinepitchcanker

EXOTIC PLANT PEST HOTLINE 1800 084 881 planthealthaustralia.com.au

Edward L Barnard, Florida Department of Agriculture Acknowledgement and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org

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