CSFS Talking Points on ODC

Here in the clinic, we've received several phone calls regarding the effectiveness of a product on the market called Organic Disease Control or ODC. The product is a colloidal chitosan which states that it will increase resin production in trees to help reduce attacks by Mountain Pine Beetle. Sky Stephens, Colorado State Forest Service Entomologist, has provided talking points regarding this product. To date, no testing has been done to determine the impacts of Agrihouse ODC on mountain pine beetle in lodgepole or ponderosa pine. One point from the information provided is that until specific testing is done to determine the impacts of ODC on mountain pine beetle, CSFS encourages landowners to use well-tested products with a proven track record to protect important pine trees on their land.

CSFS Talking Points Regarding ODC (pdf)

Pine Wilt Nematode and Mountain Pine Beetle Along the Front Range: Is There a Connection?

We've received several samples in the Diagnostic Clinic this month of Scots pine that have been hit with Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) from areas along the front range and one of those samples also had Pine Wilt Nematode (PWN) (Bursaphelenchus spp.). So we are asking ourselves, which came first, MPB or PWN? And, is one exacerbating the other? To see if we can answer this question, we are collecting samples of MPB hit Scots pine that are being cut down in counties along the Front Range to process for PWN to see if there is any correlation. The specific counties we would like samples from are Larimer, Weld, Boulder, Adams, Jefferson, Denver, Arapahoe and Douglas. The samples should be from trees no higher than 6000 ft elevation. The samples should be collected from branch areas closest to the trunk and should be no more than 3 inches in diameter and about 6-8 inches in length. Samples will be processed at no charge to the submitter. Samples should also be sent within 1-2 days of the tree being cut down. Samples can be sent to the Plant Diagnostic Clinic, E215 Plant Sciences Bldg, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1177. If you have any questions, feel free to call us at 970-491-6950.

Dr. Tisserat's Turf Presentation at ProGreen

Dr. Tisserat's ProGreen presentation on common turfgrass diseases and their control. If you weren't able to make it to ProGreen or just want an extra copy, the presentation is in PDF format and the link is below.

ProGreen Turfgrass 2010 Presentation

Answering Questions About Spraying for MPB and Other Bark Beetles

I've fielded several phone calls this week regarding Mountain Pine Beetle/Ips Beetle and whether homeowner trees in the urban areas should be sprayed for prevention of MPB/Ips attacks. I asked Fort Collins Assistant City Forester Ralph Zentz, and his reply is as follows:

"In the Front Range urban areas, the main host is still Scotch/Scots Pine (about 80% or more). Austrian pines are rarely hit and I have not seen or heard of any othe them being killed by MPB in any of the communities. Ponderosa is the second most hit species of pine in our cities, but lodgepole, pinyon, bristlecone, eastern white pine and others have been hit as well. Mortality in scotch pine runs about 10% when they are hit; the same is true for Ponderosa.

In the foothills and mountains of the Front Range, the MPB population is building in the native Ponderosa according to Dave Leatherman, Entomologist, formerly with CSFS.

Spraying should occur prior to May, however there may be a few earlier flights, but (in my opinion) not enough to warrant earlier spraying. It is critical that people realize that just because a tree is hit, it does not mean it will be killed from the pest. 10% or less mortality is reported from all the communities from Colorado Springs north to Fort Collins."

In a previous blog posting, there is a link to 'Mountain Pine Beetle Information' from October 30, 2009 that provides the most recent information compiled by the Colorado State Forest Service and Colorado State Extension. Scroll down to the date and the link is at the end of the posting.

The links to fact sheets from CSU Extension on MPB and Ips/Engraver Beetles are posted here. These sheet should also provide information for concerned homeowners.
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05558.html
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05528.html

As always you can call the Plant Diagnostic Clinic with your questions, or contact your local County Extension office for the latest information.

New Colorado Dept. of Agriculture Regulations on Japanese Beetle

Colorado Department of Agriculture is instituting new regulations for the importation of plant material into Colorado that will protect Colorado by reducing the introduction of Japanese Beetle into the state. These regulations will take effect on January 1, 2010. Links to the regulations, a presentation to Extension Horticulture Agents and Best Management Strategies for Control of Japanese Beetle are at the end of this post. These new regulations have no effect on what growers can ship out of Colorado. These regulations only affect plant material (which includes, among other items, soil, compost, manure, and grass sod) imported into Colorado from states east of Colorado. Any questions regarding these new regulations can be directed to Laura Pottorff, Colorado Department of Agriculture, Nursery Program Manager, 303-239-4153.

Best Management Strategies (PDF)
Presentation to Extension Horticulture Agents (PDF)
CDA Regulations effective 1.1.2010 (PDF)

Wishing Everyone.............

Happy Holidays and a Joyous and Prosperous New Year.

Corn Ear Mold Update

I just wanted to provide an update on corn ear molds. We are getting a lot of questions here in the clinic regarding Fusarium and the potential for mycotoxins. We are seeing Fusarium on corn, but whether or not it will lead to mycotoxins is debatable. The information we are gathering says it depends on the moisture content of the corn going into storage. Amy Ziems, Diagnostician from the University of Nebraska, has posted the following to our GPDN listserv: "In Nebraska we are experiencing a tremendous amount of grain mold. Currently the harvest is approximately 3 weeks behind due to all the wet weather we have been experiencing the past 2 months also majority of the corn in the field is testing between 18-40% moisture. In the lab we have been seeing a few of the common ear molds such as Diplodia and Fusarium ear rots, however we are seeing a lot of corn with green/black sporulation on the ears and cobs. The green/black sporulation is a combination of several different saprophytic fungi including Alternaria, Pithyomces and Ulocladium. Attached are a couple of photos of the "moldy" corn. Our current recommendation here is dry the corn below 15% within 24 hrs after harvest prior to storage. We are feeling that these fungi have the potential to cause some major damage during storage if the moisture levels are not dropped significantly. We are also receiving a lot of questions regarding mycotoxin testing with the fusarium ear molds being detected." Amy has also provided a list of companies that do mycotoxin testing. If you are interested in having your corn tested, please feel free to contact me at the diagnostic clinic and I will be happy to provide you with the list or I can direct your sample to the nearest lab for you.

Additionally, Tamra Jackson, Extension Plant Pathologist & Corn Specialist at UNL, has posted a video talking about corn ear molds as well as a newsletter explaining corn ear molds. The video can be viewed at http://marketjournal.unl.edu/103009, scroll down to corn ear mold/Tamra Jackson to view the specific video. The newsletter can be found at http://cropwatch.unl.edu/web/cropwatch/archive?articleID=1904835.