2011 Status of DED Tolerant American Elm

Linda Haugen, Plant PathologistLinda Haugen, Plant PathologistUSDA Forest Service, Forest Health ProtectionUSDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection

St. Paul, MinnesotaSt. Paul, Minnesota

Overview of what you should know from 2009 talk…

1. DED tolerant American elm cultivars, their characteristics and availability.

2. Research at the Univ of MN– especially pruning work, and St. Croix elm.

3. Status of research at Delaware, Ohio, Forest Service NRS location (Slavicek).

2011 Status of American Elm

• What’s new.• We need more elms.• Elm “Restoration” Demo Sites.• DED Tolerance Enriched Seed.

Dr. Kathleen Knight, Northern Research Station.

Lots of Talk… Strategies and approaches.

• Restoration ecology.• Modeled vegetation

response to EAB infestation, particularly invasives.

• Current work in Ohio, may expand as funded.

What’s new

We need more elms

Princeton Highly available *Valley Forge (Amer. 3) Moderately to highly available. *New Harmony (Amer. 680) Low to moderately available. *Lewis & Clark ‘Prairie Expedition’ TM Limited availability

Jefferson (N3487) Beginning availability *American Liberty (W502, W503, W505, W507, W510, and M-8)

Only through the Elm Research Institute (ERI).

Independence (W510) Yes, as part of American Liberty

Delaware 2 (Delaware) Not commercial *R18-2 Not commercial *St. Croix Not yet. MN selection

Commercial Availability NRS

We need more elms

Finding more DED tolerant American elms• Long-term projects: > 8 years to screen

• Chippewa NF project: Started 2009 Cold tolerance x DED tolerance

• Nature Conservancy project to start in New York/New England?

• “Lessor elms”: IN, IL, OH, MI• We need more, from rest of range• New database– web entry

We need more elms

We need more elms

Elm Restoration SitesElm Restoration Demonstration in the Upper Mississippi

2 upland sites, 2 bottomland

•“Wild land” site•“Free to Grow”

• Planted 2005 and 2007• INTENSE protection• 30 to 40 trees per site

PrincetonValley Forge Delaware VF x New HarmonyVF x R18-2VF x PrincetonVF x Delaware

Elm Restoration Sites

Elm Restoration Sites

Other NRS “restoration sites”• Original sites in Ohio. (5 or 6)• Partnered with Nature Conservatory (Christian Marks) in New England to plant 30 sites.

DED Tolerance Enriched Seed

Heritability of DED Tolerance

Eshita, Slavicek and Kamalay. 2003. Generation of American Elm Trees with Enhanced Tolerance/Resistance to Dutch Elm

Disease through Genetics.R18-2 x Valley Forge

New Harmony x Delaware 2

New Harmony x R18-2

New Harmony x Valley Forge

Planted in 1995, inoculated w/ DED in 2002. Evaluated after 4 weeks and 8-9 weeks.

Several progeny showed few symptoms even at 8-9 weeks:

38/321 at 5% or less

73/321 at 10% or less

“Enriched Seed”= seed from crosses of DED tolerant American elm parents

Smalley and Guries. 1993. Breeding Elms for Resistance to Dutch Elm Disease.

In F2 elm population, their best “families” yielded up to 80% DED resistant individuals.

DED Tolerance Enriched Seed

Field use of DED tolerance enriched seed:• NRS has “Seed Orchard”• Potentially use to propagate seedlings for field trials of restoration plantings.• Perhaps 2012?• “Public lands” partners? • State Nurseries?

Heterobasidion Root Disease (HRD)NA-2009-02. Detection Tools, Risk Analysis and Management Guidelines for Annosum Root Rot in the Northeastern Area US. JJuzwik, DLindner, WI DNR, GStanosz, SPFO

Objectives: DNA-based sampling protocol. Science-based risk analysis system and associated management guidelines.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT: • Develop and test sampling methodology for HRD.

• Collect data on risks of introduction and risks of intensification, and potential impact. -- inoculum availability (i.e. viable fruiting bodies) -- time of basidiospore dispersal throughout the year-- Importance of edaphic, prior land use, and stand variables

• Document H. annosum occurrence within each State (baseline regional database).

• Finalize risk analysis system and management guidelines for HRD in Northeast.

Heterobasidion Root Disease (HRD)

In the Field:Cordless drill used to collect wood sample into a micro-centrifuge tube.

Materials packed into a “kit”.

In the lab:Full profile of fungal DNA in sample.

J. Juzwik has been learning technique.

Many samples processed synchronously = cost efficiency.

Only received 40 samples last year!

Heterobasidion Root Disease (HRD)

• Expand sampling– perhaps send out NRS or NA samplers.• Include “mystery root disease pockets”, not just HRD suspects.

Heterobasidion Root Disease (HRD)

You can help! You can BE HELPED!

Contact J. Juzwik or L. Haugen to participate!