Summary
Dothistroma Needle Blight (DNB), also known as Red Band Needle Blight because of the colourful symptoms it shows on pine, is an economically important disease of conifers. It causes premature needle defoliation, resulting in loss of yield and, in severe cases, tree death.
Mortality in Corsican pine infected with Dothistroma needle blight
Reduction in diameter increment of Corsican pine due to Dothistroma needle blight
Until recently the disease was primarily of concern in the Southern Hemisphere, particularly on radiata pine (Pinus radiata). However, since the 1990’s there has been a rapid increase of disease incidence in both Europe and in Canada.
Since the late 1990’s the disease status has changed markedly in Britain. It is now found in many forests growing susceptible pine species, with Corsican pine (Pinus nigra ssp. laricio), lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) and more recently Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) all being affected.
In other countries where the disease has a significant economic impact, successful methods of control have tended to focus on fungicide treatments. However, in Britain the focus is on the use of resistant species and good stand management.
- Red band needle blight questions and answers
- Symptoms and life cycle
- Pathogens and hosts
- Status of the disease
Research in progress
The main research areas are as follows:
- Surveillance and monitoring of disease extent and severity in Britain and assessment of the impact of the disease on timber yields.
- Increasing our understanding of the disease epidemiology including spore dispersal distances, timing of spore release and infection, and persistence of the pathogen on fallen needles.
- Increasing our understanding of the fungal population structure by investigating genotypic variation and distribution of the mating types across the Britain, both of which will aid management decisions.
- Investigating potential management strategies including thinning and respacing regimes, fungicide application and variation in host species susceptibility.
Funders and partners
This research is funded by the Forestry Commission, the East Anglia Forest District, Forestry Commission Scotland, Forest Enterprise Scotland, IFOS and the Scottish Forestry Trust.
There are currently two PhD students working on this topic co-supervised by Forest Research, one in conjunction with Dr Simon Archer, Imperial College, London and one with Dr Steve Woodward, Aberdeen University.
Forest Research was also the proposer of the European COST Action Determining the Risk and Invasiveness of Dothistroma Species (DIAROD) due to run from December 2011 to December 2015.
Publications
Further information on this disease and other shoot diseases of pine can be found in two Forestry Commission Information Notes:
- Red band needle blight of conifers in Britain (PDF-1200K)
Forestry Commision Research Note 02 - Red band needle blight of pine (PDF-1340K)
Forestry Commission Information Note 49 - Shoot diseases of pine (PDF-377K)
Forestry Commission Information Note 68
Status
The programme started in 2004 and is on-going.
Contact
Dr Anna Brown
Forest Research
Alice Holt Lodge
Farnham
Surrey GU10 4LH
Tel: 01420 22255
Tel direct: 01420 526246 (direct dial)
Fax: 01420 23653
Email: anna.brown@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
