sdu faculty of forestry journal special edition 2009 - Orman Fakültesi

SDU Faculty of Forestry Journal
Serial: A, Number: Special Issue, Year: 2009, ISSN: 1302-7085, Page: 33-38
CENTRAL NEWFOUNDLAND: ESCAPE from QUARANTINE
Gary R. WARREN 1* and Gaston LAFLAMME 2 .
1 Natural Resources Canada, C.F.S. - Canadian Wood Fibre Centre, Corner Brook, NL Canada
A2H 6J3
2 Natural Resources Canada, C.F.S. - Laurentian Forestry Centre, Quebec, QC. Canada G1V 4C7
ABSTRACT
* Gary.Warren@NRCan-RNCan.gc.ca
Scleroderris canker, European race, was first detected on Austrian pine in St. John’s,
Newfoundland in 1979. To prevent spread of this exotic disease, a quarantine zone was
established in 1980 to all areas north of the Witless Bay Line. Later, red pine mortality near
Torbay (1981), Upper Island Cove and along Salmonier Line (1996) resulted in extending
the quarantine zone in 1998 to all areas east of Route #202 at the isthmus of the Avalon
Peninsula. Infection on these pines was tracked back to planting stock produced at the Back
River Nursery on Salmonier Line. These seedlings were planted on the Avalon and
Bonavista Peninsulas from1937 to1952. Until 2007, the slow rate of spread and natural
quarantine boundary limited this disease for over 60 years to the Avalon Peninsula. In
2007, the European race of Scleroderris canker was detected in an isolated red pine
plantation in central Newfoundland at Berry Hill Pond, 400km outside of the quarantine
zone. Field observations showed that conducive conditions for the pathogen were always
present in the area, explaining rapid development of the epidemic compared to slow
progression in plantations on the Avalon Peninsula. Failure to publicize and enforce the
quarantine and apply preventative control measures has now resulted in threats to native red
pine stands and plantations established throughout central Nfld. Pruning red pines in that
region will prevent any new outbreak. We cannot rely on quarantine measures alone to
prevent spread of this disease.
Keywords: Scleroderris canker, Gremmeniella abietina, Pinus resinosa, outbreak,
quarantine.
1. INTRODUCTION
Scleroderris canker cause by Gremmeniella abietina (Lagerb.) Morelet is a serious
disease of hard pines, causing shoot blight, branch dieback, stem cankers and tree
mortality. Two races of the disease affect pines in North America, the native North
American (NA) race and the introduced European (EU) race (Dorworth et al., 1977)).
The NA race causes infection on lower branches in the snow, inducing dieback and
mortality in pine seedlings or pines less than 2 m in height. The NA race has never
been found in Newfoundland. The EU race, introduced in North America, is a very
serious disease; it is not restricted at the snow level; the whole crown of large trees can
be affected. Red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) is very susceptible to this disease (Skilling,
1975); Scots (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Austrian pines (Pinus nigra Arnold) are
moderately affected (Bernhold et al., 2009) while jack pine (P. banksiana Lamb.) is the
most resistant (Laflamme and Blais, 2000).
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