Red band needle blight

 

Red band needle blight, caused by the fungus Dothistroma septosporum, has been found on a range of conifer species in Great Britain. Pine species are by far the most common hosts and Corsican pine is the main species affected.

On Corsican pine, symptoms are first seen at the base of the crown on older needles. Infected needles typically develop yellow and tan spots and bands, which soon turn red. The ends of the needles then turn reddish-brown whilst the needle base remain green. Needle symptoms are most apparent in June and July, after which the infected needles are lost and trees can have a typical ‘lion's tail’ appearance, with only a tuft of the current year's needles remaining at the branch ends. This defoliation can continue year on year and gradually weaken the tree, significantly reducing timber yields and may eventually lead to mortality. Experience in New Zealand, suggests that the percentage of crown infection equates to the percentage yield reduction.

The disease has been found on Corsican pine in all of the Commission's Forest Districts in England, the majority in Wales and several in Scotland. Overall, 70% of the Corsican stands inspected had the disease, and it is estimated that 44% of these infected stands had crown infection levels of greater than 30%. As yet, there has been only limited infection on lodgepole pine in Great Britain, but this species has suffered severe and widespread damage in British Columbia, so the situation is being monitored carefully. Scots pine is generally considered to have low susceptibility, as do the other main conifers used in British forestry.

The Forestry Commission’s research programme includes annual disease surveys, increasing our understanding of the fungal biology to aid management decisions, tests on the susceptibility of alternative species, and studying the impact of changing forest management practices on the incidence and severity of the disease.

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