[MAIPC] FW: [APWG] ARTICLE: Controlling an Invasive Tree with a Native Fungus: Inoculating Ailanthus altissima (Tree-of-Heaven) with Verticillium nonalfalfae in Highly Disturbed Appalachian Forests of Ohio

Tue May 17 06:14:23 PDT 2022

 Mark Schall, Matthew Kasson and I all did similar research. Mark and Matt did it at Penn State under Dr. Don Davis while I was at the University of Maryland. The biggest mistake is usually looking for a "magic bullet" instead of looking for an integrated "magic" system such as can be found with Ailanthus. I found a system of Atteva aurea, Aculops ailanthii and Fusarium oxysporum on Ailanthus with the addition of native Asteraceae, among other flowering plants, serving as a food source and possible mating location for adult A. aurea.
Matt made a mistake assuming the vector for the Verticillium wilt he was studying was an ambrosia beetle in the Euwallacea genus (if I remember the genus right). I found out when experimenting with glyphosate as a chemical control that the beetle entered the trees after injections, not before. Which means the beetle entered the trees after they had been weakened.
Rose rosette disease is another system which in this case destroys multiflora rose. It consists of an emaravirus, an eriophyoid gall mite and probably insect pollinators with birds acting as phoretic transport for the mites. I disagree with the common idea that the mites are wind transported because wind transport is random, whereas phoretic transport is targeted, making it more efficient.
                                                                                                                                                          Richard Gardner

    On Monday, May 16, 2022, 06:37:33 PM EDT, Marc Imlay <ialm at erols.com> wrote:  

Successful biocontrol with no impact on natives.

From: APWG <apwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org> On Behalf Of Park, Margaret E
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2022 5:28 PM
To: apwg at lists.plantconservation.org; Forest Ecology Working Group <forestecology at lists.fws.gov>
Subject: [APWG] ARTICLE: Controlling an Invasive Tree with a Native Fungus: Inoculating Ailanthus altissima (Tree-of-Heaven) with Verticillium nonalfalfae in Highly Disturbed Appalachian Forests of Ohio

Lauren S Pile Knapp, Joanne Rebbeck, Todd Hutchinson, Jacob Fraser, Cornelia C Pinchot

Journal of Forestry, May 12, 2022, 

Highly disturbed forests are commonplace throughout the eastern United States and their residing composition and structure is reflective of their past land use. Management and restoration efforts are complicated by diverse and abundant nonnative invasive plants, including Ailanthus altissima. Verticillium nonalfalfae has been identified as a potential native mycoherbicide option for Ailanthus. To test the efficacy of Verticillium on Ailanthus we designed a study in highly disturbed forests of southern Ohio. At each of five sites, we monitored symptomology, mortality, and rate of spread of stem-inoculated Verticillium on Ailanthus in four inoculated plots and compared it to a control plot. We also monitored native plants for Verticillium symptomology and community responses to Ailanthus control. Our results suggest that Verticillium is an effective tool for controlling Ailanthus with no observed effect on native flora. Further, Verticillium naturally spreads through stands and mortality is slow enough that other resident nonnative invasive plants do not rapidly increase. 

Study Implications: Managing problematic invasive plants is a costly and time-consuming endeavor that quickly overwhelms resources. The identification and development of native biocontrols will help to suppress invasive plants, especially when considered in conjunction with other control options. Native biocontrols are pests or diseases that are typically nonlethal residents of the local environment but have significant and detrimental impact on nonnative plants. The native fungus Verticillium nonalfalfae along with several other Verticillium species has been identified to kill the invasive Ailanthus altissima. Verticillium can be applied to a subset of Ailanthus stems, and through time, will spread naturally with minimal impact to native species. 

See full article: https://academic.oup.com/jof/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jofore/fvac013/6584878?searchresult=1 

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