The annual occurrence and effects of semimature-tissue needle blight on white pine

1971 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 423-435
Author(s):  
S. N. Linzon

The occurrence of semimature-tissue needle blight (SNB) on eastern white pine (pinus strobus L.) was closely followed for 7 years, 1957 to 1963. White pines susceptible to SNB displayed recurrent foliar symptoms in some years. Annual fluctuations in the incidence of SNB occurred in a similar pattern on widely separated sample plots in a localized area. Major outbreaks of SNB were infrequent and were often found to occur during a continuous sunny period following a period of excess rainfall. The adverse effects of the disease on foliage were reflected in reduced growth in other parts of affected trees and in premature death of perennially blighted trees.

1967 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. N. Linzon

The incipient symptoms of needle blight of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) appear only in semimature tissues of current year needles, and the orange-red lesions then spread acropetally throughout adjacent, more mature, tissues. Semimature tissue of white pine needles is characterized by the start of the suberization of the radial and transverse walls of the endodermal cells. The first cells to break down in blighted semimature tissue occur in the mesophyll region of one of the ventral faces of the needle. Mesophyll necrosis spreads laterally to the other ventral face and finally to the dorsal face of the needle, before proceeding distally through mature tissue. Anatomical differences exist between needles collected from susceptible and non-susceptible white pines.


1961 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 1287-1292 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. N. Linzon

Healthy and needle-blighted eastern white pine trees (Pinus strobus L.) were intergrafted in the forest using bottle and cleft crown graft techniques. The grafts were made in four combinations of diseased and healthy scions and stock branches and at three different stages of development of the graft components. High percentages of successful grafts were obtained when the partner combinations included healthy scions and when the grafting was done in early May with active top growth just beginning in both scions and stock. Fewer grafts survived when diseased scions were employed and when the field grafting was carried out with dormant-collected scions or with scions and stock both possessing advanced new growth.Each grafted partner retained its original identity. Needle-blight symptoms appeared simultaneously on diseased scions and their mother trees, while the healthy stock trees remained unaffected. Conversely, healthy scions and their mother trees were unaffected while the diseased stock trees displayed the needle-blight symptoms on their foliage. No disease symptoms were transmitted by stem grafting. A search revealed that perennially needle-blighted trees were joined to neighboring healthy trees by natural root grafts, and that there was no visible communication of the disease symptoms. Additional evidence has been presented to show that needle blight is nonparasitic in etiology and that susceptibility to needle breakdown is inherent in the individual.


1959 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Farrar ◽  
W. D. McJannet

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 347
Author(s):  
Kara K.L. Costanza ◽  
William H. Livingston ◽  
Shawn Fraver ◽  
Isabel A. Munck

Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) is considered a signature species in eastern North America, particularly in New England. In recent years, however, white pine has experienced increased damage due to native pathogens that reduce the species’ growth, productivity, and economic value. One disease of concern is Caliciopsis canker, caused by the fungal pathogen Caliciopsis pinea, which is associated with excessive resin production, cankers, rough bark, bark fissures/cracks, and reduced growth in white pine. Recent studies have documented the extent of Caliciopsis canker in New England and its association with soil and stocking conditions, yet few studies have focused on the biological impacts of the disease. This study used dendrochronology and whole-tree dissections to reconstruct Caliciopsis canker history in three New England white pine sites, quantify its impact on tree growth and vigor, identify pre-disposing factors, and assess potential silvicultural management options. Dendrochronology and whole-tree dissections provided a unique insight into canker damage throughout trees’ development. Canker damage was first reported in New Hampshire in the mid-1990s, yet cankers were present as far back as 1967 and have steadily increased since the mid-1980s. Increased canker damage was significantly associated with decreased live crown ratios and declining tree growth. Trees maintaining a 30% live crown ratio or greater generally experienced the least canker damage. Furthermore, peaks in canker occurrence were consistent across sites, indicating a regional synchronization of infection and damage. Canker damage was closely associated with climatic events such as droughts and a New England hurricane. The results suggest that Caliciopsis canker has been affecting white pine health over the last 40 years, and that the disease has become more prevalent in the past 20–30 years. Yet, our results suggest that if silvicultural prescriptions target low density thinnings that favor trees with higher live crown ratios (>30%) and low Caliciopsis symptom severity ratings, the risk of canker damage can be reduced in white pine stands.


2008 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 474-482
Author(s):  
Delphis F. Levia ◽  
Lydia A. Leclair

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