Phytophthora ramorum: Educate to Detect (PRED) USDA-Forest Service USDA-Cooperative State Research Education & Extension Service IPM Regional Centers National Plant Diagnostic Network USDA-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

• Introduction to PRED

• History of P. ramorum

• Symptoms and look-alikes

• Regulations

• Sample collection and handling

• Status in North American forests

• Status in Europe

• Status in North American landscapes and nurseries

Sudden Oak Death

• Sudden Oak Death

• Red oak group hosts and tanoak
• Stem lesions beneath the bark
• May bleed or ooze
• Can kill adult plants

• Phytophthora ramorum Foliar Blight

• Non-oak hosts
• Spots and blotches on leaves
• Shoot dieback
• Can kill juvenile plants, occasionally mature plants

Trace-forward & trace-back investigations

• Trace forwards = to the nurseries where stock was shipped TO

• Trace backs = to the nursery where stock was shipped FROM

Phytophthora ramorum national survey

True oaks (Quercus spp.)

• True oaks (Quercus spp.)

• Tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus)

• Chestnut (Castanea) [Europe only]

• Beech (Fagus) [Europe only]

‘Bleeding’ or oozing on the bark

• ‘Bleeding’ or oozing on the bark

• Not associated with cracks in bark or insect holes

• Usually on the lower 6 ft. of tree trunks

• Pyracantha

• Honeysuckle

• Yew

• Douglas-fir

• Grand fir

• Coast redwood

P. ramorum symptoms on kalmia (mountain laurel)

P. ramorum symptoms on lilac

P. ramorum symptoms on conifers

Phytophthora ramorum regulations & quarantines

• Federal quarantines –

• prevent movement between states

• State quarantines –

• prevent movement within a state
• prevent introductions

Phytophthora ramorum domestic regulated materials

• Nursery stock

• Forest stock

• Wood

Phytophthora ramorum host list

• tanoak horse-chestnut southern red oak

• canyon live oak sweet chestnut northern red oak

• coast live oak European beech Holm oak

• California black oak drooping leucothoe wood rose

• Shreve oak European turkey oak Viburnum varieties

• bigleaf maple toyon madrone

• coffeeberry cascara Formosa firethorn

• California buckeye coast redwood huckleberry

• salmonberry manzanita honeysuckle

• Western starflower grand fir poison oak

• California hazelnut Douglas-fir Scotch heather

• mountain laurel European yew witch-hazel

• Pieris varieties strawberry tree Victorian box

• Camellia species California wood fern lilac

• European yew Pacific yew rhododendrons/azaleas

• false Solomon’s seal winter’s bark sweet bay laurel

• goat willow Andrew’s clintonia bead lily

• California bay laurel/pepperwood

Federal P. ramorum quarantine program goals

• Prevent the artificial spread of P. ramorum

• Take the least restrictive action necessary

• Determine status of disease, nationwide

• Keep the regulations current with the science and risk

• Identify where infected items came from and went to

• Clean up infested nurseries and garden centers

APHIS website: www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ispm/sod

• Review of material just presented

• Goal of PRED

• Overview of the program

• What to do…

Sample referral and submission

• In some states, only the State or federal regulatory officials will be collecting the specimens.

• Contact your county extension agent or supervisor to find out who is authorized to collect suspect samples in your county.

Sample referral criteria

• Plants likely to be infected by Phytophthora ramorum (as indicated by the screening questionnaire):

• Affected plant is on host list and purchased since 2002
• Affected plant is near a recently purchased host plant
• Symptoms are consistent with Phytophthora ramorum

• Screening questions at the NCIPM website: (www.ncipm.org/sod)

Communication

• Submit the suspect sample to:

• County Extension Specialist/Farm Advisor
• Master Gardener
• Other state designated representative

• Avoid alarming behavior. Don’t jump to conclusions.

• Wait for lab result
• Maintain confidentiality

If you’re asked to collect a sample

• Collect leaves that show various stages of symptom development.

• Take pictures of symptoms and environment.

Packaging a sample

• Place sample on a paper towel. Do not wet the towel.

• Double bag and seal the sample in zippable bags.

• If shipping, use a crush proof box with seams sealed completely with tape.

• Be sure to include the sample submission form required by your state.

Delivering a sample

• Contact the sample recipient.

• Samples must be fresh and in good condition.

• Rapid delivery is critical (no Friday shipments).

Sampling reminders

• The accuracy of a disease diagnosis can only be as good as the sample and information provided.

• Sample must be representative of symptoms and severity in the field and must contain the right material.

Sampling reminders

• Sanitation

• disposal of material
• containment while shipping
• clean tools

• Chain of custody

• restrict access to sample
• make sure sample collection location is retraceable

Diagnostics: laboratory tests

• There are three detection methods:

• Antibody test (ELISA)
• Plating on selective media
• DNA (PCR)

• Relatively expensive

• Time consuming

Where to go for more information

• APHIS: www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ispm/sod

• California Oak Mortality Task Force: www.suddenoakdeath.org

• NCIPM: www.ncipm.org/sod

Acknowledgments

• Authors

• Jennifer Parke
• Susan Frankel
• Janice Alexander
• Carla Thomas

Questions???

• We have assembled a group of experts to answer your questions:

• David Rizzo, University of California, Davis
• Jonathan Jones, APHIS
• Jennifer Parke, Oregon State University
• Kerry Britton, USDA-Forest Service
• Carla Thomas, NPDN
• Susan Ratcliffe, NCIPM