Pitch Canker Disease Gibberella circinata ( Fusarium circinatum) Nirenberg & O'Donnell 1998 Photo courtesy of T. R. Gordon
Pitch Canker Large old canker on main stem Pitch canker was first identified in CA at New Brighton State Beach, Santa Cruz County in It is vectored by several species of bark, engraver, cone, twig and deathwatch beetles associated with Monterey pine, Pinus radiata Photo courtesy of Andrew Storer
The Source: Pine Seeds Photo courtesy of Mishobonzai Managed pine forestry is a very large and international industry. Pitch canker was found in the Southeastern US in Southeastern pine growers ship pine seed to CA in order to grow seedlings quickly and efficiently, which are then shipped back to the SE. The fungus disease survives on the seed. This is the probable origin of Pitch Canker in CA. Photos courtesy of the Temperate Forest Foundation
Photo Courtesy of Terry Price Photo courtesy of Donald Owen, CDF Pine Pitch Canker Symptoms Affected young sapling Strikes in a mature tree
Photos courtesy of T. R. Gordon fungus enters a shoot along with insect feeding and forms a canker Infected young growing shoot begins to wilt Faded needles on infected branch tipA tree with multiple infections
Susceptible Tree Species Bishop Pine Pinus muricata Coulter Pine P. coulteri Digger Pine P. sabiniana Knobcone PineP. attenuata Monterey PineP. radiata Ponderosa PineP. ponderosa Shore PineP. contorta contorta Torrey PineP. torreyana Jeffrey PineP. jeffreyi (in lab tests) Sugar PineP. lambertiana (in lab tests) Douglas FirPseudotsuga menziesii
Insect Vector Twig beetles Pityphthorus nitidulus P. pulchellus tuberculatus P. carmeli P. setosus Cone beetle Conophthorus radiatae Twig and Cone beetle Dernobius punctulatus Engraver beetles CA five-spined ipsIps paraconfusus Monterey pine ipsI. mexicanus CA four-spined ipsI. plastographus Kutztown University Forest Pest University of British Columbia Ken Walker IN CAPS
Pitch Canker Monterey Pine Killed by Pitch Canker (Photo courtesy of T. R. Gordon Mortality Risk Map for Pitch Canker
What is being done? Pitch Canker Task Force: Photo by T. R. Gordon Pitch canker infection on a Monterey pine branch showing resin that is typical of the tree's response to the pathogen.