Sooty Bark Disease

Sooty Bark Disease Latest News

In British Columbia, Canada, maple trees have been observed with sooty bark disease, and researchers are working on ways to reduce the rate at which the disease spreads.

About Sooty Bark Disease

• It is a fungal disease of maple trees, which causes rapid wilting and mortality.
• The disease is caused by the fungus Cryptostroma corticale.
• It can also have implications for human health if fungal spores are inhaled. 
• The fungus is endemic to the Great Lakes region of North America but is considered an introduced disease in Europe. 
• It is most often noticed after periods of hot weather when extensive black sooty patches are revealed beneath the bark of affected trees.  
• It is a disease which needs high temperatures for extended periods of time.
• The fungus may remain dormant inside a tree for years before becoming active under hot, dry conditions, and it can kill a tree in as little as three years.
• The main characteristic of sooty bark disease is the predominantly black discolouration caused by concentrated spore formation on the trunk. 
• There is currently no control that exists for sooty bark disease.

News: TOI

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