Pest Management of Bareroot Hardwood Seedlings S.A
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Pest Management of Bareroot Hardwood Seedlings S.A. Enebak 9 Scott A. Enebak is professor and associate dean for instruction, School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL Outline Disease Management Root Diseases Damping-off Root rot Foliage Diseases Powdery mildew Anthracnose Leaf spots, blights, and rusts Nematode and Insect Management Nematodes Piercing and Sucking Insects Leafhoppers Aphids Scale insects Spider mites Leaf Feeding Insects May, June, Japanese and blister beetles and borers Grasshoppers Caterpillars Leaf-tiers, leaf-rollers and leaf-miners Root Feeding Insects White grubs Cutworms Animal Damage Management Deer Birds Small Mammals References Facing Page: Leaf spots on Quercus spp. indicating localized fungal infections. (Photo by Scott Enebak.) Pest Management of Bareroot Hardwood Seedlings 121 Disease Management poor seedling quality (culls), or reduced survival after outplanting. Preemergent and postemergence damping- Root Diseases off will appear in nurseries as an expanding circle, either across or along a seedling bed as the fungi move through Damping-off. A number of soilborne fungi, present in the soil infecting and killing seed/seedlings within the nursery soil, are capable of inciting disease in bareroot soil. Many times, infection is masked during cool periods hardwood seedlings. The term “damping-off” describes but suddenly appears when temperatures increase and the rapid and sudden mortality of young germinates prior the seedling, its root system compromised by the fungal to the lignification and hardening of the seedling stem, infection, cannot translocate enough moisture to remain resulting in the seedling collapsing. Preemergence damp- turgid and damps-off. ing-off occurs before the seedling emerges from the soil and occurs when the fungi infect the seed or radical before Both cultural and chemical methods can be used to mini- the stem emerges from the soil. Preemergence damping- mize the effects of these fungi on seedling production. off appears to the manager as reduced or slower germina- These fungi are usually present in low numbers and can tion than what is expected of a particular seed source. In survive in the soil in plant debris or, as in the case of Rhi- contrast, postemergence damping-off is mortality of the zoctonia and Cylindrocladium, in dormant spores that seedling after the young germinate has emerged from the remain viable for years. Their effect on seedling mortality soil (fig. 9.1). The seed/hypocotyls/seedling could have tends to increase when seedbeds are used continuously been infected at any time postsowing, but at least the without rotations of cover crops, so crop rotation should seedling was able to emerge from the soil. As a general be a part of the nursery’s management plan. Excessive rule, smaller seeded species are more susceptible than moisture and cool temperatures cause fungi to build larger seeded species to damping-off. Depending on the tim- up in large numbers, as cool, wet soil promotes fungi ing of infection and tree species, and because of their relative and slows seedling growth. Soils high in clay content or size, seedlings may not even “damp-off,” but die, turn brown, that drain poorly and retain moisture longer favor the and remain standing. This type of damping-off could be con- damping-off fungi, especially the water molds Pythium sidered a seedling blight (the rapid and sudden death of a and Phytophthora. Sowing hardwood seed in raised seed- seedling) or could also be considered root rot, if later in the ling beds and fields that drain excess water away from growing season. seedling roots will go a long way to controlling the fungi that infect seedling roots. Also, the addition of nitrogen The fungal genera responsible for damping-off include early in the season favors soilborne fungi, so minimiz- Fusarium spp., Rhizoctonia spp., Cylindrocladium spp., ing fertilizer until the seed has germinated will decrease Pythium spp., and Phytophthora spp. These fungi are the amount of damping-off that occurs early in the sea- generally opportunistic saprophytes that feed on dead son. The soil pH also influences fungal behavior, with pH and decaying plant material and, under certain condi- above 6 favoring the pathogen’s growth at the expense tions, are capable of infecting seed, hypocotyls, roots of seedling performance. Nurseries that can maintain and stems of hardwood seedlings. Infection by these high levels of organic matter (greater than 3 percent) will soilborne fungi may result in mortality in the nursery, find that damping-off is reduced due to the effects of the antagonistic, beneficial soilborne fungi that use organic matter as a food source and will outcompete the soil- borne pathogens responsible for damping-off. In addi- tion, damping-off is favored by organic materials that decrease soil pH and organic matter that increases the carbon nitrogen ratio. While these cultural methods have been shown to be effec- tive in minimizing damping-off, by far the most common and effective step in controlling damping-off diseases is the use of a soil sterilent prior to sowing. Historically, this has been either a fall or spring soil fumigation with combinations of methyl bromide and chloropicrin (98:2, 67:33, 80:20) at 350 to 400 pounds of active ingredient per Figure 9.1—Postemergence damping-off of hardwood seedlings due to soilborne fungi. (Photo by Scott Enebak.) acre (lb ai/ac) (388 to 444 kilograms of active ingredient 122 A Nursery Guide for the Production of Bareroot Hardwood Seedlings per hectare [kg ai/ha]) or dazomet (350 to 400 lb ai/acre, 388-444 kg ai/ha). These compounds generally eliminate most of the soilborne fungi, weeds, insects, and nema- todes within the soil profile, rendering the area semi- sterile. With the gradual phase-out of methyl bromide as a soil sterilent, compounds with 100-percent chloropicrin (table 9.1) have shown to be as effective as methyl bromide combinations in disease control, but are weak in weed control (South and Enebak 2005). Spring fumigation, fol- lowed by a spring sowing, will have less damping-off than any other option. For those nurseries that use some type of soil fumigation, hardwood seedlings should always be sown in first-year fumigation soil to reap the benefits of Figure 9.2—Dark-stained roots indicative of root-rot caused by the reduced weed, insect, fungal, and nematode pressure. Cylindrocladium spp. (Photo by Scott Enebak.) Unlike soil fumigants that are presowing, there are fun- gicides that can be applied as a soil drench during the Identification of these diseases on hardwood seedlings growing season, if necessary. These treatments will work is based on the dark blackening of the roots or stems only for a few targeted damping-off pathogens, which will typically has longitudinal swellings and cracks along the need to be identified before treating the area. Damping- infected area (fig. 9.2). Seedling mortality caused by root off caused by a specific soilborne pathogen can be con- rot will appear as an expanding circle, either across or trolled using the fungicides listed in table 9.2. along a seedling bed, as the fungi move from seedling to Root rot. Later in the growing season, the same soilborne seedling. The same cultural techniques can be used to fungi responsible for damping-off are capable of causing control these fungi as are used to minimize damping- root rot, which may result in seedling stunting, mortal- off: good soil drainage, proper soil pH, and high organic ity, or poor survival after outplanting. Depending on the matter. If root rot does occur, then soil drenches of the fungus involved, the disease may be either Cylindrocla- dium root rot or Phytophthora root rot, as a number of Table 9.2—Fungicides to control damping-off and root rot species within each fungal genera can be responsible. soilborne pathogens. Many hardwood species can be infected by these three Soilborne fungi Compound Fungicide fungi, including sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.), Aluminum tris (o-ethyl Aliette yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.), black walnut phosphonate) (Juglans nigra L.), dogwood (Cornus florida L.), eastern Sudue Maxx Mefenoxam redbud (Cercis canadensis L.), chinquapin (Castanea Pycraclostrobin & spp.), and many oak species (Quercus spp.). In addi- Pageant Pythium spp boscalid tion to root decay, the fungi can be spread by rain and and Thiophanate-methyl & Phytophthora spp Banrot soil splash, resulting in stem lesions and foliage blights. etridiazole Captan Captan Table 9.1—Soil fumigants used to treat nursery soils prior to Pentachloronitrobenzene Terraclor 75 wp sowing. (pcnb) Soil fumigant Percent compound Cleary’s 3336 Thiophanate methyl Methyl bromide /chloropicrin 67/33 or 80/20 OHP 6672 Thiophanate methyl Fusarium spp Thiophanate-methyl & Chloropicrin 100% Banrot and etridiazole Chloropicrin + 80% & 20% solvent Rhizoctonia spp T-Methyl Thiophanate-methyl Dazomet 100% Pycraclostrobin & Pageant Chloropicrin & 1, 3-dichloropropene 60% & 40% boscalid Metam / potassium sodium Cleary’s 3336 Thiophanate methyl Methyl iodide / chloropicrin 98/2 or 67/33 Cylindrocladium spp Omega 50˚F Fluazinam Dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) / chloropicrin 79/21 Terraguard 50W Triflumizole Pest Management of Bareroot Hardwood Seedlings 123 infected area have been shown to be effective in stopping the continued spread of the disease. Culling and destroy- ing infected seedling material from the nursery beds will decrease inoculum later in the season and future crops. Foliage Diseases A multitude of leaf diseases occur on hardwood seed- lings, most of them caused by fungi within the large fun- gal group Ascomycota. Fungi growing on leaf surfaces can be a concern because they reduce the area for plant photosynthesis and growth. Reduced vigor makes trees more susceptible to attack by insects and other fungi and Figure 9.3—Powdery mildew growing on the leaf surface giv- appear unhealthy. Foliage pathogens are considered weak ing the seedling a white, gray or tan appearance.