Phytophthora ramorum 2005 Nursery Outbreak and Response

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Phytophthora ramorum 2005 Nursery Outbreak and
Response
Jonathan Jones Phytophthora ramorum Program
Manager USDA-APHIS Headquarters, Riverdale, MD
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Hosts and Symptoms

• Broad host range
• APHIS lists 68 host and associated hosts plants
• Half identified in the past 18 months
• Infects conifers, broadleaf trees, shrubs,
  perennials and ferns
• 22 plant families
• 7 more recently Identified in the UK

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History in US Nurseries

• 2001 - Found in California nursery in the
  quarantine area on a rhododendron
• 2002 No reported NA nursery finds
• 2003 - 17 nurseries found
• CA, OR and WA (A1 A2), BC
• on Rhododendron, Camellia, Viburnum, and Pieris
• In response, developed Confirmed Nursery Protocol
  
• 2004 Nationwide nursery survey

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Starting March 2004

• CDFA reports presumptive positive results from 12
  California nurseries
• All outside quarantined areas
• Only 2 would be confirmed, one a major producer
• In California, Oregon and Washington 12 more
  production nurseries would be found positive in
  2004

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A National Concern

• Potential for nationwide distribution
• From 14 production or
• wholesale nurseries
• 2.3 million plants
• 15,300 receiving nurseries - about 5000 unique
  nurseries
• Shipments to 49 states, plus D.C.
• Some planted in landscapes and some of those
  found infected
• Infestation rates of species in infested
  nurseries estimated at .5 4, commonly _at_ .7-1

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History in US Nurseries

• Limited, in US nurseries, to certain genera
• Rhododendron Many species and cultivars, many
  nurseries, many origins
• Viburnum Several finds in several nurseries
• Camellia Anomaly, several species, many
  cultivars, the most nurseries, but all tied to
  one origin
• Pieris Several finds in several nurseries
• Kalmia Several finds in several nurseries
• Syringa A couple found in a couple of nurseries
• Pyracantha koidzumii One find in US and Canada
• Acer macrophyllum Single find in one nursery
• In the infested area, reports in nurseries of
• Rhododendron, Aesculus californica, and
  Umbellularia californica

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USDA Response

• Establish Emergency Response Team
• Request CCC funds (15M 2004, 9.5M 2005)
• Develop and Refine Protocols
• Trace forwards
• Confirmed Positive Nurseries
• Residential finds
• Woodland finds (APHIS FS)
• Cooperate and Coordinate with States (APHIS FS)
• Expand National Survey (APHIS FS)
• Cooperate and support CSREES establishment of P.
  ramorum response and Master Gardeners (FS)

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USDA Response Confirmed Nursery Protocol
Master Gardener Program

• CNP to clean up (eradicate) in nurseries and
  garden centers found with infestations.
• Based on EU, Canadian, and US experiences and
  best available science of P. ramorum
• Requires delimitation (plants, soil, water),
  perimeter inspection, destruction of block(s), 90
  day hold on buffer and spring (re)inspection for
  2 years
• MGP to outreach to homeowners
• Identify systematic plants and screen for P.
  ramorum
• Bridge between homeowner and regulators

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Positive Detections - 2004
25
24
3
2
1
53
1
3
2
No Nursery-Associated Positive
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2
1
1
1
3
4
AK
16
3
Nursery-Associated Positive
11
5
HI
6
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Nationwide Spread Potentially Infected Plants -
2004
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Relative Risk Map for Climate Match and Hard Wood
Forest Density
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Annual
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The December Federal Order

• Rationale During 2004, production nurseries on
  the West Coast outside the quarantine area were
  found infested with P. ramorum.
• Regulates Movement of nursery stock from
  nurseries in all of California, Oregon, and
  Washington to mitigate the potential of P.
  ramorum infected stock being shipped.

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Positive Nursery Finds 2005- déjà vu all over
again?

• CDFA reported the first positive for 2005 on 26
  January
• Camellia in a previously positive nursery but
  outside buffer zone and plants not infested in
  2004
• Since then a total of 35 reported, 20 as a part
  of the FO and 15 linked.
• ODA has reported 1400 nurseries inspected and a
  total of 7 positive sites to date
• 3 found were a result of FO inspections
• 4 found were trace forwards from 2004 landscape
  plantings with no indication of spread
• WSDA has no positive reports as HAP nursery
  inspections commence
• Georgia has started their National Survey and
  reports one positive nursery that was positive in
  2004 Kalmia vs. Camellia

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Major Issues - Policy

• Determining risk of spread and establishment
  given scientific uncertainty
• Lack of basic biological information on P.
  ramorum
• Host range of P. ramorum not fully defined
• Harmonization of regulatory approaches
• CA vs. OR and WA vs. rest of U.S.
• Canada
• Europe
• Impact of regulatory program on nursery industry
• Funding

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Major Issues - Science

• Where will P. ramorum survive and grow ?
• What hosts might contribute to survival and
  spread in the various environments ?
• What is the importance of any soil phase in the
  ecology of the pathogen ?
• What role, if any, might movement in waterways
  play in the spread?
• How (well) does it survive adverse conditions ?
• Why are so many plant species susceptible to this
  pathogen and how many more are ?

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For More Information - APHIS web site
http//www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ispm/pramorum/
CSREES Master Gardener and US Forest Service
web sites http//www.ncpmc.org/sod/
http//www.fs.fed.us/
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Phytophthora ramorum 2005 Nursery Outbreak and
Response
Jonathan Jones Phytophthora ramorum Program
Manager USDA-APHIS Headquarters, Riverdale, MD