First record of Chalara fraxinea in Italy
The NPPO of Italy recently informed the EPPO Secretariat of the first record of Chalara fraxinea (EPPO Alert List) on its territory. The regional PPO of Friuli-Venezia Giulia has detected C. fraxinea on a few young ash trees (Fraxinus excelsior) in the municipality of Tarvisio (Province of Udine). The identity of the pathogen was confirmed by the University of Padova (IT) and the Slovenian Forestry Institute of Ljubljana (SI). All symptomatic trees and nearby ash trees were destroyed. Surveys will be conducted in Friuli-Venezia Giulia (e.g. in other foothills and Valli del Natisone) to determine the extent of the disease.
The situation of Chalara fraxinea in Italy can be described as: Present, first detected in 2009 in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, under official control.
Sources
NPPO of Italy, 2009-11.