Current Situation: Camellias infected from the sudden oak death (SOD) pathogen, Phytophthora ramorum, in the Monrovia nursery in California, were shipped in March 2004. This nursery ships nursery stock all over the Unites States.

Surveys: There are four surveys occurring throughout the United States. Here is the current situation for Texas.

1. In 2003 there was a pilot survey done that surveyed random nursery locations throughout the state to detect if SOD was present in the nurseries. This was completed by David Appel and Sara Service at Texas A&M University. They created a website (http://suddenoakdeath.tamu.edu) detailing information on the pathogen and their surveys.

2. APHIS in 2004 has had local state agencies perform surveys and collect samples within the nursery that have received shipments from the Monrovia nursery out of California (Trace Forward Sites). These samples were collected and processed and Texas A&M University by Dr. Appel’s lab and Larry Barnes Plant Diagnostic Center.

3. APHIS has included Texas in the national survey that will repeat the 2003 pilot survey.

4. The USDA in 2004 is having state agencies as well perform perimeter nursery survey’s that have received shipments from the Monrovia nursery out of California (Trace Forward Sites). Samples will be collected to see if the pathogen is on native vegetation. TFS is performing these surveys by Kim Camilli from TFS and Arnes Purdy from Texas A&M University. These samples will be also processed at Texas A&M University by Dr. Appel’s lab.

Confirmed Locations: Based on the 2003 surveys by APHIS and state agencies there are 11 states that have been confirmed positive for SOD in nurseries. They include Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, New Mexico, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia Confirmed in Texas: It has been confirmed in 5 nurseries in Texas to date.

Hosts: In Texas there are 10 plant genera that this pathogen are known to infect. They are Acer, Aesculus, Arbutus, Pseudotsuga ,Quercus, Rhamnus, Vaccinium, Viburnum, Castanea and Fagus. These are the suspect hosts in Texas that we are looking at for the perimeter surveys for those nurseries that have received nursery stock from Monrovia.

Symptoms:

For oaks the symptoms will include:

• Brown to Black Cankers on lower trunk

• Occasional cankers on higher branches

• Oozing dark red to black sap

• Cankers on some species may not bleed

• Healthy appearing crown in the early stages

• Later stages: thinning or complete browning of crown

• Browning of leaves may occur over a period of weeks

• Beetles and Hypoxolon fungus often move opportunistically into SOD weakened trees

• Twig dieback on some species

• Spontaneous drooping of new growth on some species (tanoak)

• When the outer bark is removed, a dark zone line is evident delimiting healthy tissue from necrotic tissue

For Foliar hosts (non-oak) symptoms will include:

• Leaf spots

• Twig dieback

• SOD on foliar hosts can only be identified by laboratory analysis

Pictures and Further Information:

• http://suddenoakdeath.tamu.edu

• http://www.suddenoakdeath.org/

• http://camfer.cnr.berkeley.edu/oaks/

• http://www.forestpathology.org/dis_sod.html