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Sudden Oak Death Agriculture

The Sentinel Plant Network


The Sentinel Plant Network

sm191-9188_IMGThe American Public Gardens Association (APGA) is working with the National Plant Diagnostic Network to develop a Sentinel Plant Network, under a grant funded by USDA-APHIS under the 2008 Farm Bill.

APGA recently launched a SPN web page that provides an overview of the program, and its mission, the benefits of participation and information on how member gardens can get involved.

APGA has been working closely with NPDN to develop two “train-the-trainer” modules for public gardens. The first module addresses the impact of plant pests and pathogens and the importance of early detectors as well as providing an overview of the SPN, its primary partners, and the role of participating gardens. The second module, which is focused on the “best practices” of pest /pathogen scouting and reporting and outlines the proper methods of sample collection and submission, will provide valuable instruction to public garden professionals and volunteers. Gardens participating in SPN will be encouraged to use this module in classes offered to the general public, thereby giving them the necessary training to be effective citizen scientists contributing to the early detection of potential threats. Preliminary versions of these modules are expected prior to APGA’s conference in June and will undergo beta testing over the summer before being integrated into the SPN regional professional development workshops this fall and winter.

APGA is also developing a freestanding website marketed towards kids and educators and will work with a curriculum specialist to develop a teacher / parent guide to these resources.

 

 

Contact: Gary Chastagner, 253-445-4528 | WSU Puyallup Research & Extension Center, 2606 West Pioneer, Puyallup, WA, 98371-4998 USA
Last updated January 2, 2013

Inoculation of Noble fir seedlings with Phytophthora and Pythium spp.


Inoculation of Noble fir seedlings with Phytophthora and Pythium spp.

NF_IMG_0470_350For her senior project, a student at Bellarmine High School, Tacoma, is testing several isolates of Phytophthora and Pythium spp. to determine whether they cause disease on Noble fir seedlings. Noble fir (Abies procera) is commonly grown as a Christmas tree in western Washington and some growers irrigate using local stream water. Some of the test organisms have been collected from streams in western WA in the 2011 stream monitoring program. Others are known pathogens of Noble fir and are included as standards or to obtain more information about their behavior on roots.

 

 

 

Test organisms will be selected from this list:

Sample # Isolate # Species Origin

1

 1106-BP1-L2A Pythium undulatum* Stream bait, North Crk, Snohomish Co.

2

 1106-BP1-L4B Phytophthora taxon “PGchlamydo”* Stream bait, North Crk, Snohomish Co.

3

 109-0045 Phytophthora cryptogea* Noble fir roots, Puyallup, WA

4

 109-0038 Phytophthora gonapodyides* Noble fir roots, Puyallup, WA

5

 1106-BP1-L3B Phytophthora taxon ‘salixsoil’* Stream bait, North Crk, Snohomish Co.

6

 109-0049 Phytophthora cambivora Noble fir roots, Puyallup, WA

7

 P720 Phytophthora cinnamomi* Pacific madrone roots, CA

8

 1105-BP1-L3A Pythium sp. #1* Stream bait, Goldsborough Crk, Mason Co.

9

 109-0030 Phytophthora citricola Noble fir roots, Puyallup, WA

10

 109-0055 Phytophthora megasperma* Noble fir roots, Puyallup, WA

11

 1112-BP2-L2B Pythium anandrum* Stream bait, Wollochet Crk, Pierce Co.

12

 1112-BP1-L2B Phytophthora inundata* Stream bait, Wollochet Crk, Pierce Co.

13

 1102-BP1-L5B Pythium grandisporangium Stream bait, Clarks Crk, Pierce Co.
14
 1103-BP3-L4A Phytophthora taxon “oaksoil”* Stream bait, Clarks Crk, Pierce Co.

*Used in Trial 1

Contact: Gary Chastagner, 253-445-4528 | WSU Puyallup Research & Extension Center, 2606 West Pioneer, Puyallup, WA, 98371-4998 USA
Last updated January 2, 2013

Data analysis and report writing basics


Data analysis and report writing basics

DSC07459sm300Now you have data, what to do with it?

This manual provides good information about designing experiments, data exploration, and statistical tests. You will need Microsoft Excel and the data analysis tool pack installed.

How to write a scientific article – each journal will have its own format, but the basic ingredients can be found at this link:

How to write a paper in scientific journal style and format

Contact: Gary Chastagner, 253-445-4528 | WSU Puyallup Research & Extension Center, 2606 West Pioneer, Puyallup, WA, 98371-4998 USA
Last updated January 2, 2013

Student Stream Monitoring Projects


Student Projects

Students from local high schools, community colleges, and universities can participate in research projects related to Phytophthora and other oomycetes.

Ideas for student projects

Other student projects

Some projects done by students in 2012:

Pierce College, Puyallup, independent studies

Temperature growth rates of Phytophthora and Pythium species isolated from western Washington streams.

Temperature effects on root infection of Noble and Frasier fir by Phytophthora species isolated from western Washington streams and soils.

Effects of gypsum on sporulation of Phytophthora species.

Biocontrol of Phytophthora using various bark mulch treatments.

Bellarmine HS, Tacoma WA, senior projects

Fungus death match! – Antagonism of Trichoderma spp. to selected Phytophthora spp.

Some projects done by students in 2011:

Green River Community College independent studies

Screening a collection of Trichoderma spp. for antagonism to Phytophthora ramorum.

Pierce College, Puyallup, Biology 213

Stream sampling using “bait in a bottle” method at Clarks Creek

The “shoe experiment” year 2

Bellarmine HS, Tacoma WA, senior projects

Testing isolates of Phytophthora and Pythium for pathogenicity to Noble fir roots

Survival of P. ramorum in water from various streams in western WA

Some projects done by students in 2010:1103_DSC07359_350

 

Effects of salinity on P. ramorum growth, survival, and sporulation (UW Tacoma, Environmental Microbiology)

“The shoe experiment” – testing various disinfectants for sanitizing the bottoms of shoes (Pierce College, Puyallup, Biology 213)

 

Learn more about Phytophthora here

 

Contact: Gary Chastagner, 253-445-4528 | WSU Puyallup Research & Extension Center, 2606 West Pioneer, Puyallup, WA, 98371-4998 USA
Last updated January 2, 2013

2012-Students


2012 Student projects

DSC09635_350Pierce College, Puyallup, independent studies

Temperature growth rates of Phytophthora and Pythium species isolated from western Washington streams.

Temperature effects on root infection of Noble and Fraser fir by Phytophthora species isolated from western Washington streams and soils.

Effects of gypsum on sporulation of Phytophthora species.

Biocontrol of Phytophthora using various bark mulch treatments.

Bellarmine HS, Tacoma WA, senior projects

Fungus death match! – Antagonism of Trichoderma spp. to selected Phytophthora spp.

Does exposure to cold increase severity of leaf blight caused by the fungus Phacidiopycnis washingtonensis on Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii)?

Dominican University of California, summer internship

A study of root infection of Viburnum by Phytophthora ramorum.

Washington State University, summer internship

Isolation and screening of biocontrol organisms found in Phytophthora-suppressive bark mulch substrates.

 

Contact: Gary Chastagner, 253-445-4528 | WSU Puyallup Research & Extension Center, 2606 West Pioneer, Puyallup, WA, 98371-4998 USA
Last updated January 2, 2013

2015-Students


Plant Pathology projects 2015

These projects relate to the detection and management of Phytophthora, a waterborne plant pathogen. We will focus on P. ramorum, the cause of Sudden Oak Death (SOD), whose long-distance spread is primarily through trade in ornamental nursery crops. There is concern about the consequences of P. ramorum establishment in WA forests. This is a quarantine organism and the projects will be done in the biocontainment lab at WSU-Puyallup.

We are also interested in the oomycete communities present in surface water bodies. Organisms such as Phytophthora, Pythium, Saprolegnia, and Phytopythium are abundant in water but little is known about most of them.

Testing wetland plants for susceptibility to P. ramorumDSC05776

Constructed wetlands are being used to mitigate pollutants in agricultural runoff. These pollutants can include biological ones, such as plant pathogens. In this study we tested several wetland plants for susceptibility to P. ramorum to assess their usefulness in removing this organism from contaminated nursery runoff. Characters examined included symptom expression, asymptomatic infection, and inoculum production. Students from Pierce College did this project as an independent study class during the summer and generated some useful preliminary data.

Monitoring for invasive Phytophthora species in stormwater retention ponds

DSC05573In 2015 members of the Pierce College Biology 213 class sampled Bradley Lake at 3 different locations using various types of bait plants in order to look at the oomycete populations in the lake.

In addition to Bradley Lake, students from Puyallup High School sampled two stormwater retention ponds in newly landscaped housing developments in Puyallup, as well as two locations along Clarks Creek where stormwater drains. The goal is to identify Phytophthora species that may be moving from landscaped areas into the ponds. This will help us to determine which pathogens are present on the landscape plants and allow us to detect any invasive species early. In addition, baseline information about Phytophthoras and other oomycetes in these ponds was collected.

Stream monitoring for invasive Phytophthora species on the northern Olympic Peninsula, WA

The primary goal of the project is to expand the monitoring of streams in northern Olympic Peninsula region for P. ramorum. In spring 2013 a bait sample positive for P. ramorum was collected from the Dungeness River near Sequim, WA. A second positive bait sample from this site was collected in summer 2013. Further sampling of streams in the area has not yet provided information about the source of inoculum contaminating the Dungeness. Using volunteers, this project will increase the level of monitoring activity in a high risk watershed where the pathogen is exposed to native vegetation beyond what is currently possible to accomplish by state and federal agencies, and also provide an excellent opportunity to increase public awareness about invasive plant pathogens such as P. ramorum. In addition, some baseline information about Phytophthoras in these streams will be collected and streams where P. ramorum is not detected could be verified “free” of P. ramorum.

This project is completed and no P. ramorum was found. Thanks to Nichole Engel, UW Tacoma, and other students for help with processing these samples in the lab.

 

For more information or to volunteer contact Marianne Elliott (melliott2@wsu.edu)

 

 

Contact: Gary Chastagner, 253-445-4528 | WSU Puyallup Research & Extension Center, 2606 West Pioneer, Puyallup, WA, 98371-4998 USA
Last updated March 10, 2015

2011-Students


2011 Student projects

1103_DSC07366_350Green River Community College independent studies

Screening a collection of Trichoderma spp. for antagonism to Phytophthora ramorum.

Pierce College, Puyallup, Biology 213

Stream sampling using “bait in a bottle” method at Clarks Creek

The “shoe experiment” year 2

Bellarmine HS, Tacoma WA, senior projects

Testing isolates of Phytophthora and Pythium for pathogenicity to Noble fir roots

Survival of P. ramorum in water from various streams in western WA

 

 

Contact: Gary Chastagner, 253-445-4528 | WSU Puyallup Research & Extension Center, 2606 West Pioneer, Puyallup, WA, 98371-4998 USA
Last updated January 2, 2013

2010-Students


2010 Student projects

Contact: Gary Chastagner, 253-445-4528 | WSU Puyallup Research & Extension Center, 2606 West Pioneer, Puyallup, WA, 98371-4998 USA
Last updated January 2, 2013

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Students


Students

We have a number of opportunities for local high school and college students to work on research projects involving sudden oak death and other plant pathology related topics.

For information about these projects, contact Marianne Elliott.

Student projects and activities

2017

2016, 2015, 2012, 2011,2010

Shoe1_DSC07402_350

Also check out:

Learn more about Phytophthora here

Data analysis and report writing basics

Contact: Gary Chastagner, 253-445-4528 | WSU Puyallup Research & Extension Center, 2606 West Pioneer, Puyallup, WA, 98371-4998 USA
Last updated January 2, 2013

2015 Monitoring of stormwater ponds in Puyallup


Monitoring stormwater ponds in Puyallup

DSC05570

Click here to see the results of these projects

Oomycetes are fungus-like organisms found in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments. Some, such as Phytophthora, Pythium, and Saprolegnia, are parasites of plants and animals. DNA sequence data has revealed that these organisms are not fungi, but are more closely related to brown algae and diatoms. We will be “fishing” for these organisms by using baits form various plant species.

Ornamental plant nurseries have historically been a source of invasive plant diseases since they acquire plant material from many different sources and disease symptoms can be difficult to recognize on some hosts. like disease epidemics in the human population, once the disease moves onto a plant host with high susceptibility it can be very devastating. Phytophthora pathogens are the cause of some of the most destructive plant disease outbreaks, such as Sudden Oak Death, caused by P. ramorum.

This project, we will sample stormwater retention ponds in newly landscaped housing developments in Puyallup. The goal is to identify Phytophthora species that may be moving from landscaped areas into the ponds. This will help us to determine which pathogens are present on the landscape plants and allow us to detect any invasive species early. In addition, some baseline information about Phytophthoras and other oomycetes in the these ponds will be collected.

We are looking for someone who is interested in getting experience working in a laboratory. Volunteers and students with an interest in environmental microbiology and/or plant pathology would benefit from working on this project. In the lab at WSU Puyallup, symptomatic material from leaf samples will be cultured on selctive media. Colonies of P. ramorum and other Phytophthora species will be isolated and identified using morphological and molecular methods.

For more information or to volunteer contact Marianne Elliott.

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