Diagnostic protocol for Chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica)
Published: Wed, 27 Mar 2013, 11:46Last updated: Mon, 11 May 2015, 16:35
Cryphonectria parasitica (Murrill) Barr is a bark-inhabiting fungus causing the disease called chestnut blight. The virulent form of the disease develops quickly in chestnut (Castanea) species causing stem cankers, ringbarking of stems, mortality of the distal part of the tree, and often mortality of the whole tree (Heiniger and Rigling 1994). Hypovirulence due to infection of the fungus by the double-stranded RNA virus, Cryphonectria hypovirus 1 (CHV 1), has however, enabled the regrowth of chestnut trees and stands (Hillman and Suzuki 2004; Root et al. 2005). Virulent and hypovirulent strains of the fungus give rise to different types of cankers and this may, in some cases, make detection and identification difficult. In more tolerant hosts (mostly Quercus petraea and less often Quercus robur, Quercus ilex and other oaks) or in its hypovirulent form, chestnut blight appears as perennial healing’ cankers or superficial infections of the bark that rarely cause the death of branches, stump, sprouts or the whole tree. Information on biology and geographical distribution can be found in EPPO/CABI (1997) and OEPP/EPPO (2005).
Resources on this page are not intended to be interpretations of ISPMs and terminology used may not be consistent with ISPM 5. Unless otherwise indicated resources, or pest distributions contained within them are not endorsed/adopted/agreed by the CPM nor developed under the auspices of the IPPC Secretariat, and are the exclusive responsibility of the author of the contributed phytosanitary resource.
Resource provide by:- NPPO of Australia
Author/Editor name and address: Caroline Mohammed, Ensis Forest Biosecurity and Protection, Private Bag 12, Hobart, 7001, Tasmania, Australia
Type of contact: NPPO
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- Diagnostic protocol