Disease control with plant endotherapy (ENDOterapia Vegetal)
Plant endotherapy is a good tool for the control of certain microbiological diseases affecting ornamental and forest trees.
One of the most common, and which can be treated with very good results, are root rot fungi diseases caused by different species of the genus Phytophthora (Fig. 11.a), Pythium or Armillaria (Fig. 11.b).
Another very important disease in Spain is the canker of the cypress family, known as “la seca”, caused by various species of fungi, which are distinguished according to whether they affect the twigs, such as Pestalotiopsis guepinii, Truncatella angustata, Diplodia mutila (Fig. 11.c) and Herpotrichum juniperis, or if they affect the main branches and trunk, such as Seiridium (Coryneum) cardinale (Fig.11.d), Cytospora sp, Phomopsis sp and Diplodia sp.
There are other diseases that affect different tree species, for example:
- Dutch elm disease (Ceratocystis novo-ulmi) (Fig. 11.e), which has caused the death of a large number of elm specimens in Spain.
- Anthracnose (Apiognomonia veneta, Guignardia aesculior Gnomonia spp) that may affect species of the genus Platanus, Aesculus, Ulmus or Juglans.
- Diplodia (Diplodia mutila), known as “la seca” in Spain, is a holm oak disease affecting different species of the Quercus genus.
- Canker of conifers (Sphaeropsis [=Diplodia] sapinea) affecting different species of the genera Pinus, Cedrus and
Control
Most of the diseases mentioned above affect trees indirectly, through water stress, soil compaction, root asphyxiation, damage caused by strong pest pressure, works, abusive pruning, inclement weather, etc.
Therefore, we first have to find the cause of this previous factor of weakness and act accordingly. Normally, all curative plant endotherapy treatments against diseases of this type are accompanied by cultural measures or other types of complementary treatments for a good management of the disease.
Fig. a – Phytophthora affecting a specimen of Aesculus.
Fig. b – Cedrus affected by Armillaria.
Fig. c – Cupressus affected by Diplodia.
Fig. d – Cupressus affected by Seiridium.
Fig. e – Ulmus affected by Ceratocystis novo-ulmi.
Fig. f – Result of a treatment with plant endotherapy (ENDOterapia Vegetal®) on cherry trees affected by Phytophthora; […read more]