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, Joe Bischoff

The pathogen Boxwood Blight (Calonectria pseudonaviculata) has shown an ability to infect every species of the family Buxaceae that has been evaluated, thus far. A recently published article includes the native Allegheny spurge (Pachysandra procumbens), which is found in isolated pockets from Florida to Pennsylvania, as a potential host. Although not as commonly planted as Japanese spurge (Pachysandra terminalis), it too is used regularly as an ornamental ground cover plant.

Filed under: Boxwood Blight • disease • research

Posted by:

Joe Bischoff, 

On February 25, ANLA hosted a webinar regarding new insights into Boxwood Blight. Over the course of ninety minutes the participating scientists from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, North Carolina State University, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, and IR-4 at Rutgers, shared with the participants new developments in our understanding of the disease. They described some of their efforts currently underway and shared their plans for future work, pending additional funding through Section 10201 of the Farm Bill, which is administered by USDA-APHIS.

Filed under: Boxwood Blight • disease • HRI • research

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ANLA and OFA will host a Boxwood Blight webinar at 11am ET on February 25, 2013. The researchers will provide updates on what has been learned about the disease and the progress made over the last year. This industry coordinated research group, consisting of academic and government scientists, was awarded over $500,000 last year to pursue new strategies in treatment protocols and rapid diagnostics of Boxwood Blight. This will be the first opportunity to hear directly about their results and help you head into spring armed with the latest information.

Click here to register.

Filed under: Boxwood Blight • disease • HRI

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The submission period for funding through Section 10201 (Pest and Disease Management) of the Farm Bill closed on December 12th with over 500 proposals submitted. USDA-APHIS has $50 million in funds to allocate for FY-2013.
ANLA has been working with two groups of researchers that are closely aligned with industry and are strong partners in attempts to deal with the long-term implications of Boxwood Blight and Impatiens Downy Mildew (IDM). These researchers have submitted four proposals to fund their efforts on these important pathogens. Their work would focus on the development of new mitigation strategies, disease epidemiology, and rapid - field deployable - diagnostic tools. Final funding decisions should be announced by APHIS-USDA sometime in late February or early March of 2013.
ANLA will continue to work with these researchers, helping to guide their research agenda when necessary, to make sure it fulfills the needs of industry.

Filed under: Boxwood Blight • disease • Impatiens Downy Mildew

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A recently published article in Plant Health Progress, by lead author Norm Dart of the Virginia Department of Agriculture, documented the success of flaming leaf litter and surface soil to significantly reduce the number of viable Boxwood Blight (Cylindrocladium pseudonaviculatum) resting structures (microsclerotia). Before flaming the fields, diseased plants were removed and disposed of, leaving behind only plant debris that had fallen off previously or as a result of the plant removal. The authors used propane push flamers (Red Dragon, La Crosse, KS) on the soil surface until the visible organic material was completely burned. Following the flaming results showed an approximately 85% reduction in viability.

Microsclerotia are hard fungal masses that develop in diseased tissue, especially, in fallen leaves. These structures, in other species of Cylindrocladium, have shown an ability to survive in soil and detritus for 10 years or more. Any method to significantly reduce the viability of these structures is a useful tool to a grower who has had to deal with this pathogen in the field, especially if they intend to grow boxwoods again.

Filed under: Boxwood Blight • disease • research