Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) mda.state.md

Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA)http://www.mda.state.md.us

Carol Holko, Program Manager

Plant Protection and Weed Management

Case Studies in Plant Health – Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)

http://www.mda.state.md.us/

October 29, 2009 Case Studies in Plant Health - Emerald Ash Borer

Maryland Emerald Ash Borer Eradication Project

A STATE PERSPECTIVE

• State is often the first and primary responder• Funding provided by USDA, state may match• Needs:

• Resources• Planning• Partnerships

• Coordination• Communication• Collaboration

• Outreach• Execution

Spring, early Summer Summer

Fall, WinterSpring


Emerald Ash Borer Agrilus planipennis



• BECAUSE OF EAB, MORE THAN 25 MILLION ASH TREES HAVE DIED IN MIDWEST.

• USDA estimates that at the national level, if the Emerald Ash Borer

went unchecked in the lower 48 states, the undiscounted loss could range from $20 - $60 billion dollars.

• Many consider it far more serious than gypsy moth, and perhaps equal to the chestnut blight.

• Ash wood is used for all traditional applications of hardwood from flooring and cabinets to baseball bats.



ASH VALUE IN MARYLAND

• The greenhouse and nursery industry is the second largest agricultural industry in Maryland. It accounts for $303.8 million in cash receipts. (Maryland Agricultural Statistics Service, Farm Receipts in 2002)

• Ash trees are one of the most common landscaping trees used in the U.S. and are common in western Maryland forests.

• Ash is the most common tree in Baltimore - 293,000 trees, 10.4% of trees total population. Ash accounts for 5,982,000 - 6,591,000 trees in the Baltimore metro area. USDA has estimated losses could exceed $227,568,000 in the Baltimore area alone.

• Riparian buffers




MARYLAND TIMELINE:• June 2002

– Discovered in Michigan

• 2002 – First Michigan quarantine issued

• April 2003 – Illegally shipped from Michigan to Maryland on nursery stock


MARYLAND TIMELINE:

• April 2003 – Illegally shipped from Michigan to Maryland on nursery stock

• August 2003– Discovered by MDA nursery Inspector in southern Prince

George’s County nursery• October 2003

– Federal quarantine issued (Michigan)• September 2003 – March 2004

– Maryland eradication of 1,100 ash trees on 500 acres

• March 2004– Maryland Quarantine Order enacted

128 acres of forest impacted

DC

VA


MARYLAND TIMELINE:• April 2003

– Illegally shipped from Michigan to Maryland on nursery stock• August 2003

– Discovered by MDA nursery Inspector in southern Prince George’s County nursery

• October 2003– Federal quarantine issued (Michigan)

• September 2003 – March 2004– Maryland eradication of 1,100 ash trees on 500 acres

• March 2004– Maryland Quarantine Order enacted

• 2004 – 2006– Surveillance…




MARYLAND TIMELINE (cont.):• 2004 – 2006

– Surveillance…

• August 21, 2006– Emerald ash borer is rediscovered on sentinel trees


Symptoms of EAB• Increased

woodpecker activity.





MARYLAND TIMELINE (cont.):



• August 24, 2006– Maryland Quarantine Order revised (updated again in 2007 & 2008)







– Surveillance…


• August 24, 2006– Maryland Quarantine Order revised (updated again in 2007 & 2008)

• September, 2006– Incident Command System enacted– http://www.mda.state.md.us/plants-pests/forest_plan/title.html

http://www.mda.state.md.us/plants-pests/forest_plan/title.html





– Surveillance…


• August 24, 2006– Maryland Quarantine Order revised

• September, 2006– Incident Command System enacted

– http://www.mda.state.md.us/plants-pests/forest_plan/title.html

• June 1, 2007 – Prince George’s County Maryland added to the Federal Quarantine




MARYLAND TIMELINE (cont.):



• August 24, 2006– Maryland Quarantine Order revised (updated again in 2007)

• September, 2006– Incident Command System enacted– http://www.mda.state.md.us/plants-pests/forest_plan/title.html

• June 1, 2007 – Prince George’s County Maryland added to the federal Quarantine

• December 28, 2006 - – Eradication …



Eradication Protocol:

• Eradication Zone •1 ½ mile buffer around known infested trees • Count, mark, and cut all ash trees before Spring emergence

• Marshalling yard•All cut wood ground to <1” in two dimensions

• Delimiting survey• 1 ½ - 2 mile buffer• sample 10% of all ash in 2 ½ acre grid






Bredon Court 10/05/06



Summit Creek 10/23/06




Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service to the Rescue!

• volume survey of ash trees in wooded compartments• Coordination of logging operations




Marshalling Yard

Cheltenham, MD


Volunteers from Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia

Agriculture and Forestry

Nearly 50 Volunteers totaling more than 2000 person-hours!



Replacement Tree Program made possible through the generous donations of several Maryland nurseries






MARYLAND TIMELINE (cont.):• 2007 and on…

– Eradication follow-up

• 2008– June 25, one EAB caught on purple prism trap

– August 16, EAB discovered in Charles County

To date more than 42,000 ash trees removed on nearly 17,000 acres


RESPONSE GUIDELINES for eradication:

•Outlier must be a single, clearly identifiable regulatory incident.

• Dendrochronology and delimiting survey demonstrate the population is less than 2 years old with 1 population release.

• With current technologies, site is determined to be eradicatable.

• Control cuts for EAB populations older than 2 years may be considered if circumstances indicate eradication may be achieved or a control action is determined to be strategically important for slowing the spread.


MD EAB – Future• 2009

– Survey/Traps• 2,500 purple traps• 16 traps per square mile within infested area

– Treating Natural Trees• ~1,200 natural treated with insecticide

– MD 24C for TREE-äge, – Safari 20SG

– Parasitoids• Federal permit approved for releases in MD





Parasitoids of EAB

Female Spathius agrili ovipositing on EAB through ash bark (photo courtesy of Dr. Yang Zhong-qi, Chinese Academy of Forestry)

Tetrastichus planipennisi adult parasitizing EAB larva(photo courtesy of Dr. Leah Bauer).

Oobius agrili adult parasitizing EAB egg (photo courtesy of Dr. Leah Bauer).

Spathius agrili larvae consuming their EAB host (photo courtesy of Dr. Yang Zhong-qi, Chinese Academy of Forestry)


1409 released to date in MD – 1,189 female

364 released to date in MD, all female

2396 released to date in MD - 1,615 female

Classical Biocontrol - “The importation of specialist natural enemies for sustained control of a previously introduced pest.”

International Organization for Biological Control (IOBC) recommends use of biological control when a species is: •not native•established for at least 5 years•causes economic or ecological damage•eradication is not possible



Remember!

• Don’t move ash wood or firewood from quarantined areas

• Watch for and report signs and symptoms of EAB

• Diversify plantings…



Maryland Department of Agriculture * USDA APHIS * Maryland DNR Forest Service * Prince George’s County Govt. * Maryland Cooperative Extension * Maryland National Capitol Parks and

Planning * Maryland Nursery and Landscape Association * Maryland Arborists Association * PEPCO * Western Branch Composting Facility (Maryland Environmental Services) * USDA FS *

Delaware Department of Agriculture * New Jersey Department of Agriculture * New York Department of Ag. and Markets * New York Department of Environmental Conservation *

Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture * Virginia Department of Agriculture * Virginia Department of Forestry

* The many citizens of Prince George’s County, Maryland, whose ash trees have fallen victim to the emerald ash borer *

Thanks! to all of our Partners

Documents

Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) mda.state.md