Red Filigree: The End!

Discussion in 'Maples' started by mr.shep, Apr 15, 2004.

  1. mr.shep

    mr.shep Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    San Joaquin Valley, California
    At the expense of showing my own Maple I want to show you
    what I mean by one form of Phytophthora and Verticillium.

    Please bear in mind that many of our plant related books
    do not identify specific strains or species of many of the
    plant pathogens that cause diseases. I am guilty of doing
    the same thing as I have not assayed the fungus or grown
    the bacterium in culture in order to identify a specific
    invader of Maples. I have, however, taken the necessary
    steps to identify organisms in other plants when I was
    an extension researcher for four years in Plant Diseases
    of Fruit & Nut trees as well as Field Crops in a former life.

    The jury is still out as to whether a specific Phytophthora
    is at work on Maples. I happen to believe that one form
    of Phytophthora does indeed hit Maples. Most of us know
    of Phytophthora as being a root rot causal agent but other forms
    of the same organism also can be a blast or a blight causal
    agent as well. Most of the research done on Phytophthora
    has been specific to a certain plant and thus Phytophthora
    fragaria is named after a fungal disease on certain Berries
    (Raspberry, Blackberry, Strawberry, Blueberry).

    This Maple was superb looking two years ago with little or
    no die back. Even after last years trimming and some removal
    of dead wood during the winter you can still see the die back
    on the twigs. Notice the color of the twigs as that to me is
    the give away that Phytophthora was the primary invader.
    What you see at work now is the result of Verticillium, the
    lethal form. What has happened is that the plant two years
    ago was hit by Phytophthora which weakened this plant and
    now the Verticillium that has been in the plant all along
    will kill this plant. Notice the drooping of the leaves as
    one week ago the leaves were turgid and erect, now they
    are limp and listless. This stage is the initial hint that
    Verticillium is in fact plugging up the vascular system
    right now and in about a week the leaves will turn brown,
    shrivel up and there will not be any new vegetative buds
    to appear to serve as re-growth. This plant is a goner pure
    and simple.

    What I found two days ago on the internet is that what
    we were told was a form of Phytophthora by a Plant
    Pathologist back in the 80's may indeed be another
    form of Verticillium, the second form I mentioned
    in a previous post. After seeing how the bark turns
    a grayish black in color with brownish red splotches
    of color just underneath the outer bark that the one
    article I read may be correct in that it is a non-lethal
    but destructive form of Verticillium. Most of us
    still equate Verticillium in Cotton as being the most
    destructive disease for us on seedling Cotton.

    I have always felt it was the Plant Pathologists that
    should be determining which forms of Phytophthora
    and which forms of Verticillium are the primary
    attackers of Maples. Someday we will know the
    straight and skinny on which species are indeed
    our primary killers of our Maples and what we
    can do to ward off and prevent such organisms
    from hurting us again.

    Jim
     

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    Last edited: Apr 15, 2004

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