This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Sudden oak death precautions
03/05/2002
Following today's announcement by the Department of
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs concerning Sudden Oak
Death, the Executive confirmed precautionary measures are
to be put in place in Scotland.
Sudden Oak Death (SOD) is caused by the fungus
Phytophthora ramorum and, since its discovery in
1995; it has resulted in the death of many oaks and other
native trees in California and Oregon, USA.
P. ramorum has also been found sporadically in
Europe causing disease on Rhododendron and Viburnum, but
not on oaks. Symptoms include wilting of shoots and water
soaked cankers on stems. In Scotland Rhododendron and
Viburnum plants were surveyed at nurseries and wholesalers
last summer and no
P. ramorum was found.
Surveys have been done in Europe and eradication
measures have been taken wherever it has been found. The
first finding in the UK was on Viburnum earlier this year
and all infected plants were destroyed.
SEERAD propose to introduce similar legislation to that
proposed in England to prohibit the import of host plants
originating in the affected areas of the USA and require
statutory notification of commercial movements of any
origin into Scotland.
As
P. ramorum is a notifiable pathogen anyone
observing symptoms described above should immediately
notify SEERAD by telephone on 0131 244 6305 or email:
hort.marketing@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.