DECEMBER 2008 REPORT (PDF) Note: The COMTF report is produced 11 times a year. There will be no report in January
2009. The next report will be issued the first week of February 2009. Research A new Phytophthora species was found in Alaska during riparian Phytophthora surveys and confirmed in November 2008. After sequence analysis, the isolate appears to be a new member of Clade 8C, the P. ramorum/P. lateralis clade. The discovery may add to our understanding of the genetic origins of P. ramorum and P. lateralis, which will assist with risk assessment determinations of these invasive forest pathogens. The host range of this new Phytophthora species in Alaska is unknown because it was found through soil baiting with rhododendron leaves. Rhododendrons, however, are not native in Alaska and thus further study on potential hosts within Alaska is needed.
Three new P. alni subsp. uniformis isolates were also discovered in late October 2008 during sequencing of baited soil samples taken in 2007-08 from across south-central and interior Alaska. The surveys were initiated due to growing concern of possible cryptic invasion by the Phytophthora that devastates alder in Europe. Phytophthora species were baited and trapped from roots, soils, and water sources using rhododendron leaves (Azalea spp.), bearberry leaves (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), and alder twigs (Alnus incana subsp. tenuifolia). With six isolates now available for analysis, researchers can compare
American strains to European strains using AFLP analysis, microsatellites, or other methods. Such comparisons will help determine whether the organism is native or introduced. Studies to date concerning the distribution of P. alni subsp. uniformis are suggestive of an extensive, though possibly sporatic, distribution from the banks of the Kenai River on the Kenai Peninsula to Healy, Alaska, 300
miles north. For more information, contact Lori Trummer, Pathologist, south-central and interior Alaska, at ltrummer@fs.fed.us or (907) 743-9460 or Gerard Adams, Michigan State University, at gadams@msu.edu. (back to top) Regulations The Environmental Protection Agency has approved Ultra Clorox® Brand Regular Bleach for use in controlling the spread of P. ramorum in forests. The label covers use of bleach to disinfect water which may be used for drafting from streams and ponds within forested areas to use in dust abatement on forest roads, equipment cleaning, and fire suppression. Use directions are: "Add 1 gallon of this product to 1,000 gallons (~50 ppm available chlorine) of drafted water. Prepare the mixture at least 5 minutes prior to application for dust abatement, fire suppression, and cleaning vehicles and lodging, road building, and maintenance equipment." The Clorox® Company plans to apply to the California Department of Pesticide Regulations (CDPR) for approval next. CDPR must review and approve the data support following the Fed EPA approval before Clorox® can be used for controlling P. ramorum spread in California. (back to top) Funding The USDA Forest
Service, Pacific Southwest Region, State and Private Forestry, Forest Health Protection program has issued their 2009 P. ramorum Request for Proposals (RFP) for management projects. Approximately $500,000 in grants is available in federal fiscal year 2009 (ends September 30, 2009). Proposals should focus on management activities that could limit the impact of Sudden Oak Death in California or SW Oregon, and extension activities to promote relevant information on this pathogen to a
broad spectrum of interested stakeholders. In general, proposals should be for grants of between $5,000 and $100,000 per year. Multi-year, collaborative projects are encouraged. The submission deadline is February 20, 2009. For a copy of the announcement or for questions, contact Phil Cannon at: pcannon@fs.fed.us or (707) 562-8913.
The USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research, Sudden Oak Death Research program will not be issuing a Request for Proposals for research in FY2009, since current funding is allocated for continuing projects. For questions on the USDA Forest Service Sudden Oak Death Research Program, contact Susan Frankel at sfrankel@fs.fed.us.
(back to top) Nurseries A Washington wholesale production nursery in Thurston County was confirmed to be P. ramorum positive on November 5, 2008. Positive plants included Rhododendron Sp. 'Purpureum Elegans' and Rhododendron Sp. 'Roseum Elegans.' This is the first time plants in this
nursery have been found positive for the pathogen. (back to top) Related Research van Poppel, Pieter M.J.A.; Guo, Jun; van de Vondervoort, Peter J.I.; Jung, Maartje W.M.; Birch, Paul R.J.; Whisson, Stephen C.; and Govers, Francine. 2008. The Phytophthora infestans Avirulence Gene Avr4 Encodes an RXLR-dEER Effector. MPMI Vol. 21, No. 11. pp. 1460–1470. DOI: 10.1094. Vettraino, A.M.; Jung, T.; and Vannini, A. 2008. Disease Notes:
First Report of Phytophthora cactorum Associated With Beech Decline in
Italy. Plant Disease, Volume 92, Number 12. Page 1708. DOI:
10.1094/PDIS-92-12-1708A. Online at: http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/PDIS-92-12-1708A. (back to top) Outreach & Education The fourth Sudden Oak Death Science Symposium will be held June 15 – 18, 2009 at the Hilton in Scotts
Valley, near Santa Cruz. A call for papers and posters will be issued shortly. The general agenda consists of a half-day field trip Monday afternoon, presentations and a poster session on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the CA Oak Mortality Task Force annual meeting on Sudden Oak Death Management Thursday. If you have suggestions for the meeting, contact Katie Palmieri at (510) 847-5482 or Palmieri@nature.berkeley.edu. Sonoma County University of California Cooperative Extension is featuring a 30-minute presentation on P. ramorum biology, spread, and treatment on their website. To access the presentation originally given by Dave Rizzo at a 2007 outreach meeting in Santa Rosa, go to: http://cesonoma.ucdavis.edu/Custom_Program193/. Parties interested in streaming the presentation from their website should contact Lisa Bell at
(707) 565-2050 or lkbell@ucdavis.edu for the code. The final 2008 fall P. ramorum preventative treatment training session will be offered December 10th on the UC-Berkeley campus. The two-hour outdoor session will cover basic Sudden Oak Death information, integrated pest management approaches, how to select candidate trees for treatment, and proper preventative treatment application. CEU credits will be offered for DPR, ISA, SAF, and California Urban Forestry Council. For more information, see the "Calendar of Events" below.
The OakMapper website has been updated. Version 2.0 improves upon the website's prior version with increased functionality and additional tools within an easily navigated interface. Launched by the UC Berkeley Kelly lab in October, OakMapper 2.0 makes it easier for users to explore data, download maps, look at images of oak mortality, and submit suspected locations of oak
mortality that may be associated with SOD. The new interface utilizes the familiar background layers and navigation tools from Google Maps. Users are able to draw points and polygons directly on the map as well as attach photos to specific points. The Kelly lab encourages the public to use this site to map suspected cases of SOD and to track their submission by signing up for an account with OakMapper. Registered users of the site can update their information and make comments on other
users' points. Official confirmations of P. ramorum are clearly separated from community-submitted points and either set of points can be filtered out. For more information, contact Maggi Kelly at oakmapper@nature.berkeley.edu. (back to top) Calendar of Events 12/10 - SOD Treatment Workshop; meet at oak outside of Tolman Hall, UC Berkeley Campus; 1 – 3 p.m.; Pre-registration is required. This class is free and will be held rain or shine. To
register, email SODtreatement@nature.berkeley.edu, and provide your name, phone number, and affiliation (if applicable). For more information, go to http://nature.berkeley.edu/sodtreatment or contact Katie Palmieri at (510) 847-5482 or Palmieri@nature.berkeley.edu. 6/15 – 6/18 –Sudden Oak Death Fourth Science Symposium;
Hilton, Scotts Valley (near Santa Cruz. Check
www.suddenoakdeath.org later this month for additional details. (back to top) | 
