For those interested in pine diseases and control, a team from Scion has developed a useful guide for foresters to identify common foliage diseases of pines and list available methods of control. The common foliage diseases in New Zealand pine plantations include; dothistroma needle blight, cyclaneusma needle cast, physiological needle blight (PNB) and red needle cast (RNC).
Dothistroma needle blight can be controlled by applying a copper fungicide in October or November. Timing depends in the location and or season with spray applied earlier in warmer areas. Cyclaneusma is more difficult to control. Susceptible trees can be removed during thinning operations if thinning is undertaken when the disease is showing and the thinning crew can recognise the disease. Red needle cast and PNB might be controlled by application of a phosphite spray and research is underway to determine this.
Control of needle disease is dependent on the correct identification of the disease, as applying the wrong treatment will be a waste of time and resources.
Newsletter Image credit: Scion
