First report of Cryphonectria parasitica in the United Kingdom
The NPPO of the United Kingdom recently informed the EPPO Secretariat of the first record of Cryphonectria parasitica (EPPO A2 List) on its territory. In November/December 2011, an inspection was carried out in a 5 year-old plantation of Castanea sativa grown for nut production and located near Leamington Spa (Warwickshire), in England. The area was planted with approximately 300 trees which had been supplied by a French nursery in 2007. The inspection revealed that numerous trees showed cankers and had died back to the root collar, with some re-sprouting below the cankered region. Laboratory analysis (isolation, morphology, molecular assays) confirmed the presence of C. parasitica. A second outbreak was then found on a smaller site in East Sussex containing about 30 trees which had been planted for nut production from the same source as the Warwickshire trees. Eradication measures were put into place and included the destruction of all C. sativa trees (uprooted and burnt on the site), and surveys of all surrounding woodlands within a radius of 3 km of the infected sites. All field staff and individuals working on these sites will adopt prophylactic measures in order to avoid any further spread of the fungus. This is the first time that C. parasitica is reported in the United Kingdom.
The pest status of Cryphonectria parasitica in the United Kingdom is officially declared as: Transient, actionable, under eradication.
Sources
NPPO of the United Kingdom (2012-01).
Forestry Commission website. Sweet chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica). http://www.forestry.gov.uk/chestnutblight
IPPC website. Official Pest Reports – United Kingdom. Cryphonectria parasitica on sweet chestnut (2012-01-31). https://www.ippc.int/index.php