Incorporation of soil amendments for managing Phytophthora root rot of Fraser fir in North Carolina
This proposal to the Christmas Tree Promotion Board aims to evaluate soil amendments, alone or integrated programs, for the suppression of PRR of Fraser fir Christmas trees. Besides generating research on the potential of these programs for PRR management, the effect of these programs on tree health parameters, including growth, mid-day stem water potential, transpiration rate, and stomatal conducted will be evaluated for trees in soils both infested and non-infested with Phytophthora spp. In addition, as demonstrated previously in avocado and Fraser fir, wood-based mulches have reduced PRR incidence due to their ability to lyse hyphal cell walls of P. cinnamomi and reduce zoospore survival and mobility. While alone wood-based mulches may not be sufficient due loss in cellulase activity over time, we hypothesize that integration of wood-based mulches with soil amendments and/or minimal phosphorous acid fungicide applications can improve the management of Fraser fir PRR in North Carolina.
- Project ID19-02-NCSU
- CategoriesDisease Management
- Growing Region(s)Mid-Atlantic
- Tree SpeciesFir
- Investigator(s)Villani
- Institution(s)North Carolina State University
- Research Year2019
- Publication Year2023
- ReportDownload 📁