scholarly journals Developing breeding and deployment options for Douglas-fir in New Zealand: breeding for future forest conditions

2012 ◽  
Vol 61 (1-6) ◽  
pp. 104-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. S. Dungey ◽  
C. B. Low ◽  
J. Lee ◽  
M. A. Miller ◽  
K. Fleet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Acoustic Velocity ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Climate Modelling ◽  
Needle Cast ◽  
Needle Retention ◽  
Genetic Gains ◽  
Recent Climate ◽  
Stem Straightness ◽  
Swiss Needle Cast

AbstractGenetic improvement of Douglas-fir in New Zealand was initiated in 1955 with large provenance trials established in the late 1950’s. These trials illustrated that material from the coast of Oregon and California grew faster than other provenances tested. Further collections were made to evaluate provenance and familylevel performance from these two areas, and in 1996 additional trials were established at four low-altitude sites across New Zealand. Genotype×environment (GxE) interaction among these sites was found to be important for diameter at breast height (DBH), less important for stem straightness and malformation and not important for outerwood acoustic velocity (a surrogate for wood stiffness). Heritabilities were low to moderate for all growth traits, and very low for malformation. Heritability for needle cast due to Swiss needle cast, measured as needle retention on the one site where infection was relatively high, was moderate at 0.37, and was likely a major factor creating GxE interactions for growth among sites. The heritability of wood acoustic velocity was moderate to high at individual sites (0.26-0.74) and across sites (0.49). Individual- trait selection revealed the potential for good genetic gains to be made when selecting the top 20 families for diameter growth (an average of 10.7%), straightness (an average of 11.5%) and acoustic velocity (an average of 7.0%). When we examined predicted genetic gains while selecting for needle retention and/or DBH, we found that selecting for needle cast at the affected site did not compromise DBH gains at that site. Selecting for genotypes with low needle cast at the affected site did, however, reduce gains for DBH estimated across all sites. In order to maximise gains across the current Douglas-fir growing estate, a division of growing sites between those known and predicted to be affected by needle cast and those not affected would seem appropriate. This is particularly relevant given recent climate modelling work suggests that Swiss needle cast will become more important in the South Island, and even more destructive in the North Island of New Zealand. We suggest addressing differences in site through the development of separate deployment populations.

scholarly journals Incidence and Impact of Swiss Needle Cast in Forest Plantations of Douglas-fir in Coastal Oregon

Plant Disease ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 84 (7) ◽  
pp. 773-778 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. M. Hansen ◽  
J. K. Stone ◽  
B. R. Capitano ◽  
P. Rosso ◽  
W. Sutton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Severe Disease ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Aerial Survey ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Permanent Plots ◽  
Forest Plantations ◽  
Needle Age ◽  
Needle Cast ◽  
Needle Retention ◽  
Swiss Needle Cast

An epidemic of Swiss needle cast, caused by the ascomycete Phaeocryptopus gaeumannii, is causing defoliation and growth reductions in Douglas-fir forest plantations along the Oregon Coast. The area of symptomatic plantations has been monitored annually since 1996 by aerial survey; in spring 1999, 119,500 ha were affected. Pathogen and symptom development have also been monitored on nine permanent plots in stands of differing disease severity. Infection levels and symptom severity are greatest in low elevation plantations close to the coast. In areas of severe disease, trees retain only current year needles. Defoliation is proportional to the number of stomata occluded by pseudothecia of the fungus, with needles being shed when about 50% of stomata are occupied, regardless of needle age. Fungus sporulation and premature needle abscission are greatest on the upper branches of trees. Annual application of fungicides increases needle retention significantly. Tree height and diameter growth and total tree volume are reduced by disease, and tree volume is significantly correlated with needle retention on our plot trees. The epidemic continues to be most severe in Douglas-fir plantations established on sites where Sitka spruce and western hemlock or red alder predominated in earlier times.

scholarly journals The Genetic Structure of Populations of the Douglas-Fir Swiss Needle Cast Fungus Nothophaeocryptopus gaeumannii in New Zealand

2019 ◽  
Vol 109 (3) ◽  
pp. 446-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. I. Bennett ◽  
I. A. Hood ◽  
J. K. Stone
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Random Mating ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Needle Cast ◽  
The North ◽  
Genetic Structure Of Populations ◽  
Swiss Needle Cast ◽  
North And South

Swiss needle cast is a foliar disease of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) that results in premature foliage loss and reduced growth. The causal fungus, Nothophaeocryptopus gaeumannii, was first detected in New Zealand in 1959 and spread throughout the North and South Islands over the following decades. The contemporary genetic structure of the N. gaeumannii population in New Zealand was assessed by analyzing 468 multilocus SSR genotypes (MLGs) from 2,085 N. gaeumannii isolates collected from 32 sites in the North and South Islands. Overall diversity was lower than that reported from native N. gaeumannii populations in the northwestern United States, which was expected given that N. gaeumannii is introduced in New Zealand. Linkage disequilibrium was significantly higher than expected under random mating, suggesting that population structure is clonal. Populations of N. gaeumannii in the North and South Islands were weakly differentiated, and the isolates collected from sites within the islands were moderately differentiated. This suggests that gene flow has occurred between the N. gaeumannii populations in the North and South Islands, and between the local N. gaeumannii populations within each island. Eighteen isolates of N. gaeumannii Lineage 2, which has previously been reported only from western Oregon, were recovered from two sites in the North Island and four sites in the South Island. The most likely explanation for the contemporary distribution of N. gaeumannii in New Zealand is that it was introduced on infected live seedlings through the forestry or ornamental nursery trade, as the fungus is neither seed borne nor saprobic, and the observed population structure is not consistent with a stochastic intercontinental dispersal event.

Ten-year growth and mortality in young Douglas-fir stands experiencing a range in Swiss needle cast severity

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (10) ◽  
pp. 2064-2076 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas A. Maguire ◽  
Douglas B. Mainwaring ◽  
Alan Kanaskie
Keyword(s):  
Disease Severity ◽  
Growth Period ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Permanent Plots ◽  
Annual Increment ◽  
Needle Age ◽  
Needle Cast ◽  
Needle Retention ◽  
Swiss Needle Cast ◽  
Annual Mortality

Swiss needle cast, a foliar disease caused by the Ascomycete Phaeocryptopus gaeumannii (T. Rohde) Petr., continues to afflict Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) in north coastal Oregon. Permanent plots were installed in 1998 to assess growth impacts and monitor disease severity. Gross periodic annual increment was measured for three 2-year growth periods and one 4-year growth period and ranged from 0.37 to 31.74 m3·ha–1·year–1. Foliage retention, defined as the average number of annual needle age classes held by a tree, was also estimated as an index of disease severity. Assuming negligible losses in stands with maximum needle retention (approximately 3.9 years), growth losses in net periodic annual increment reached slightly over 50% in stands with the lowest needle retention (approximately 1 year). Mixed-effects regression models supported a consistent relationship between foliage retention and both gross and net periodic annual increment among the four growth periods. Periodic annual mortality ranged from 0 to 19.12 m3·ha–1·year–1 but was not significantly influenced by Swiss needle cast as measured by average foliage retention. Minimum and maximum foliage retention has fluctuated annually from 1998 to 2008 on the permanent plots, but growth losses at a given level of foliage retention appear to have remained stable. Estimated growth losses are similar to those reported for comparable levels of defoliation by other agents.

Predicting the severity of Swiss needle cast on Douglas-fir under current and future climate in New Zealand

2010 ◽  
Vol 260 (12) ◽  
pp. 2232-2240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael S. Watt ◽  
Jeffrey K. Stone ◽  
Ian A. Hood ◽  
David J. Palmer
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Future Climate ◽  
Needle Cast ◽  
Swiss Needle Cast

Swiss needle cast tolerance in British Columbia’s coastal Douglas-fir breeding population

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Montwé ◽  
Bryan Elder ◽  
Peter Socha ◽  
Jessica Wyatt ◽  
David Noshad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Tree Breeding ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Early Screening ◽  
Needle Cast ◽  
Needle Retention ◽  
Swiss Needle Cast ◽  
Fungal Dna

Abstract Substantial growth losses in Douglas-fir can be the result of Swiss needle cast, a foliar disease caused by the fungus Nothophaeocryptopus gaeumannii. Although the disease is native to western North America, it is expected to become increasingly problematic in regions where climates become warmer in winter and wetter in spring, such as in coastal British Columbia (BC), Canada. Previous research suggests that tolerance to this disease is under partial genetic control. We therefore aim to screen for tolerance and resistance to the disease in the tree breeding population of coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii) in BC. We evaluated if early screening for resistance or tolerance to this disease is possible. We worked with 32 families grown for 18-years on two full-sibling genetic field trial sites representing different climates. We assessed >900 trees for disease signs and symptoms from 2017 to 2019. Needle retention was assessed in the field. In the laboratory, the proportion of stomata occluded with pseudothecia was measured, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted, and the proportion of fungal DNA in the needles was assessed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Strong differences were observed among families for needle retention, stomatal occlusion and fungal load. The milder and wetter site closer to the coast was generally more severely affected. Families showed rank changes between the two sites for all response variables. Higher needle retention was correlated with increased tree volume. No correlation was found between the proportion of stomata occluded with pseudothecia, fungal DNA load and needle retention. These results indicate that a more complex pathology is involved in causing needle loss. We conclude that screening for Swiss needle cast tolerance in the coastal BC Douglas-fir breeding population is possible if needle retention can be assessed and that area-specific deployment strategies may be needed given family rank changes in different environments.

scholarly journals Phytophthora pluvialis Studies on Douglas-fir Require Swiss Needle Cast Suppression

Plant Disease ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 101 (7) ◽  
pp. 1259-1262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mireia Gómez-Gallego ◽  
Martin Karl-Friedrich Bader ◽  
Peter Matthew Scott ◽  
Sebastian Leuzinger ◽  
Nari Michelle Williams
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Radiata Pine ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Needle Cast ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Swiss Needle Cast ◽  
Phytophthora Pluvialis ◽  
Red Needle Cast ◽  
Ubiquitous Presence

Phytophthora pluvialis is associated with early defoliation and shoot dieback in Douglas-fir in Oregon and New Zealand. In 2013, P. pluvialis was described from mixed tanoak-Douglas-fir forests in the Pacific Northwest and concurrently recognized as the main causal agent of red needle cast (RNC) in New Zealand radiata pine plantations. Little is known about its infection cycle and impact on host physiology. P. pluvialis studies in Douglas-fir are challenging due to the ubiquitous presence of the endophyte Phaeocryptopus gaeumannii, which produces similar symptoms and premature defoliation with persistent needle wetness, known as Swiss needle cast (SNC). Nonetheless, our study showed P. pluvialis infection in the presence of SNC. Exclusive expression of P. pluvialis is difficult to achieve as both diseases are promoted by high humidity. Here we established a ‘dry leaf’ strategy to suppress SNC when inoculating Douglas-fir needles for RNC studies. Sheltering plants along with drip irrigation to avoid needle wetness during the P. gaeumannii sporulation period suppressed its development in the new season flush. The diminished endophyte inoculum enabled bias-reduced studies of P. pluvialis impacts on Douglas-fir without the confounding effects of stomatal blockage and premature defoliation caused by P. gaeumannii.

scholarly journals Impact of Swiss Needle-Cast on Growth of Douglas-Fir

2011 ◽  
Vol 101 (5) ◽  
pp. 583-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. O. Kimberley ◽  
I. A. Hood ◽  
R. L. Knowles
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Volume Growth ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Needle Cast ◽  
Permanent Sample Plots ◽  
The North ◽  
Swiss Needle Cast

Phaeocryptopus gaeumannii, the cause of Swiss needle-cast, is widely distributed in plantations of Douglas-fir in many parts of the world. Nevertheless, information remains limited on its precise effect on stand growth, particularly in relation to regional climate, and on its consequent economic cost. In New Zealand, the spread of P. gaeumannii over a period of ≈30 years following its discovery in 1959 was closely monitored, and the timing of its arrival in different forests is known. This information was coupled with data from permanent sample plots in order to quantify the associated historical growth increment loss. Analyses revealed a steady decline in growth rate over the period from the first appearance of P. gaeumannii to a point when it stabilized at a lower increment level 14 to 20 years later. The cumulative mean reduction was 25% for mean top height, 27% for basal area, and 32% for stem volume. Volume growth rate decline was greater in the North Island (35%) than the South Island (23%) of New Zealand. These reductions in volume growth are estimated to equate to a loss in net present value of $NZ2,620 ha–1 and $NZ1,470 ha–1 for the North and South Islands, respectively, using a discount rate of 6%. Mortality did not increase as a result of infection by P. gaeumannii. The disease had less effect on cooler sites, especially those with low spring minimum temperatures (P < 0.001). Negligible growth decline occurred on sites with daily minimum October temperatures averaging <3.2°C.

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