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Walnut Council Committee Reports Protection Committee Report Diseases have long been recognized as the number one cause of growth loss and mortality of urban and forest trees. Nationally there is an average of ten new tree pathogens discovered every year. The Northeastern Area (NA) has been on the forefront of new disease epidemics. There are at least 15 significant pathology issues facing managers in NA, most of them exotic: SOD, oak wilt, oak decline, beech bark disease, bacterial leaf scorch, hazard trees, butternut canker, ash decline, hickory decline, Dutch elm disease, diplodia shoot blight, root disease, dogwood anthracnose, redbay wilt, and nursery pathogens. Over time I will give a status report on all of these disease issues, beginning in this report with oak wilt. The casual agent of oak wilt, Ceratocysis fagacearum, has been known since the 1940's, but reports of oak decline with oak wilt symptoms were reported as early as 1912. The fungal pathogen has never been reported outside the United States, but its true origin is unknown. It may be a native organism that has become a more important disease-causing agent as suburban building has extended into oak woodlands, but the weight of the evidence suggests it is an introduced pathogen. Primary hosts of oak wilt in the Northeastern Area are members of the red oak group, but white oaks are also infected. Ceratocystis fagacearum kills most members of the red oak group very rapidly, proceeding from first symptoms to tree mortality in as little as three weeks. White oaks are less susceptible to the disease and if infected may recover, or take many years to die. Bur oak (Q. macrocarpa) is intermediate in susceptibility, and once infected usually dies back over a period of several years. Oak wilt is often a disease of the urban-wildland interface. Wounds during a critical period in the spring are required for new infections of oak wilt, but once an infection center is established, spread from tree to tree can occur through root grafts, which are common between members of the same oak groups. Nitidulid beetles visit spore pads produced on trees killed by oak wilt the previous summer. The transmit the pathogen to healthy trees when they are attracted to fresh wounds during April-June in the Lake States, and probably for a similiar or more extended period int he rest of the Northeastern Area. Once established, oak wilt infection centers enlarge as healthy trees are infected via root grafts. Expansion of infection centers can be quite rapid, especially where sandy soils are prevalent, because root grafts appear to be more common on these sites. Oak wilt centers can also expand from short-distance movement of nitidulids attracted to spore mats on trees in the infection center, if healthy trees nearby are wounded in the spring. Oak wilt can be managed through prevention and control activities. Avoid wounds on oak during the critical infection period in the spring. Unavoidable pruning or wounding can be mitigated by painting wounds with tree paint at the time the would occurs. Once an infection center is initiated, control must involve two activities: breaking the root grafts between diseased and healthy trees by using a trencher, vibratory plow or backhoe; and timely removal of trees that are potential spore producing trees before spore pads of the pathogen are produced. PSPT's (potential sproe-producing trees) should be removed the fall or winter after they die. The boles should be cut and split into small firewood-size pieces to facilitate drying. Branches as small as 2" in diameter have been observed to support spore pads, but once the tree is cut and split the chances of spore pads forming are much reduced. Or the trees can be disposed o in other ways such as burying or burning. For more information on controlling the spread, see http://sss.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/howtos/ht oakwilt/toc.htm . Utilization
& Marketing Committee Report Since November 2005, I have expressed concern that housing starts in the US were on the decline. Historically, housing starts have been a reliable indicator of the health of the US economy, at least from a hardwood industry perspective. It took much longer this time, but finally my concerns have proven to be correct. In the past, a decline in the housing start was followed in 6 to 8 months by a drop in new orders for hardwood lumber and veneer. Veneer often took a little longer. This time it took nearly two hears for the business to see serious results. The hardwood industry is feeling the pinch. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, the lower US dollar is keeping the export business busy. Europeans are especially benefiting from the low dollar. Their buying power is at an all time high. Again historically, when housing starts are down, remodeling is up. Remodeling always created some business for hardwood lumber and veneered panels. Even furniture would sell as homeowners postponed buying a new home and optioned to buy new furniture. High gas prices are interrupting the current cycle. More and more cash is being reserved for food, taxes, mortgage payments and other necessities. Higher gas prices are a serious drag on our economy, and we are just beginning to feel the effects. The decline in housing starts has caused a change in demand for walnut. Some mills are reporting worse conditions than others. Several mills are still working with standing orders and a few new orders have come in, but a lower demand for 8/4, 10/4, and 12/4 is expected. A decrease in demand for #1 Com walnuts lumber is expected. The upper grades, Selects and Better, and FAS, usually remain in fairly strong demand, even in tough times. Demand for walnut logs for export will probably continue strong with the weaker US dollar. Domestic demand would be expected to decrease. Log grades will tighten and it will be more difficult to sell the lower grade trees. Demand for walnut lumber and veneer will likely continue to decline in 2008. |
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