Pest Factsheet of Seed-bearing Trees: Pine pitch canker (Fusarium circinatum)

Published: Tue, 26 Mar 2013, 16:31
Last updated: Mon, 11 May 2015, 17:04
Pitch canker is caused by the fungus Fusarium circinatum which infects many Pinus spp., causing serious disease of some including a number of important plantation species. Pinus radiata is very susceptible at any age and trees may be killed. Fusarium circinatum It is not present in Australia. Pitch canker is a chronic problem in the south-eastern USA, where it affects production in plantations, nurseries and seed orchards. In the south-eastern USA, pitch canker can cause significant losses in pine seedling nurseries (Barnard and Blakeslee, 1980) and is responsible for reduced cone yields in seed orchards (Dwinell et al., 1981; Dwinell et al., 1985). This fungus has also been a serious problem in seedling nurseries in South Africa. Little is known about the limits of airborne dispersal but spores of F. circinatum are readily trapped out of the air in proximity to diseased trees and not in disease-free areas. The fungus can be moved with infected wood and further disseminated by insects that are carried within and later emerge from that wood. In California, many insects are known to carry the pitch canker pathogen, including pine-associated bark, cone and twig beetles in the genera Pityophthorus, Ips, Conophthorus and Ernobius. Contaminated pruning implements and infested soil on tools or vehicles also represent risks for transport of the pathogen. Pine litter (fallen needles) from infested areas (that might be used as mulch) is likely to harbour the pathogen and should not be moved into non-infested areas.
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• NPPO of Australia

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Submitted by: NPPO of Australia