Developments in White Pine Blister Rust Control in the United States

A major decline in the abundance of whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis Engelm.) has recently occurred in the United States, primarily as a result of white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola J.C. Fisch. ex Raben.). However, no information on the status of whitebark pine in British Columbia, Canada, was available. We sampled 54 subalpine stands in British Columbia, examining all whitebark pine trees within plots for evidence of blister rust and mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopk.) damage. About 21% of all whitebark pine stems were dead, and blister rust was the most important agent of mortality. Of all living trees sampled, 27% had obvious blister rust infection (cankers), but actual incidence was suspected of being as high as 44% (using all evidence of blister rust). Blister rust incidence and whitebark pine mortality were significantly related to differences in stand structure and the presence of Ribes spp., but relationships with local climate and site variables were absent or weak. The lack of strong relationships with climate suggests favourable conditions for the spread of the disease throughout most of British Columbia. Very little evidence of mountain pine beetle was found. Overall, the prospects for whitebark pine in British Columbia do not appear good; a large reduction in population levels seems imminent.

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State Regulation of Ribes to Control White Pine Blister Rust

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech.10.3.562 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 562-564 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Steven McKay

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

The United States ◽

State Regulation ◽

Regulatory Agencies ◽

White Pine Blister Rust ◽

Infection Rates ◽

White Pine ◽

Blister Rust ◽

Potential Impact ◽

The Impact

Recent interest in expanding commercial currant and gooseberry (Ribes L.) plantings in the United States has put pressure on the states with Ribes restrictions to review their regulations. A meeting on 9 January 1998 initiated discussion between the state agriculture regulatory agencies, forest pathologists, and horticulturists. Since then a white pine blister rust (WPBR), Cronartium ribicola J.C. Fischer) World Wide Web (Web) site (McKay, 1998) and list serve have been activated to facilitate communication. Vermont is a state that has no regulations on the books at this time. Connecticut and New York also have mentioned that infection rates are low. Maine retains a Ribes reduction program, and Massachusetts is strictly enforcing their regulations. The following summarizes the general consensus among the majority of regulating states: 1) It is desirable to find a way for both white pines (Pinus L.) and commercial Ribes plantings to coexist. 2) More research is needed to survey existing Ribes and pines, the potential impact of commercial plantings versus the impact of existing Ribes, and the potential impact of escape /volunteer seedlings from immune Ribes cultivars. 3) There is interest in permitting immune Ribes cultivars to be planted. 4) There is interest in having consistency in regulations from state to state.

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Genetic resistance to white pine blister rust in limber pine (Pinus flexilis): major gene resistance in a northern population

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/cjfr-2016-0128 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 46 (9) ◽

pp. 1173-1178 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Richard A. Sniezko ◽

Robert Danchok ◽

Douglas P. Savin ◽

Jun-Jun Liu ◽

Angelia Kegley

Keyword(s):

Major Gene ◽

Genetic Resistance ◽

The United States ◽

White Pine Blister Rust ◽

White Pine ◽

Pinus Flexilis ◽

Limber Pine ◽

Blister Rust ◽

Major Gene Resistance ◽

The Status

Limber pine, Pinus flexilis E. James, a wide-ranging tree species in western North America, is highly susceptible to white pine blister rust (WPBR), caused by the non-native fungal pathogen Cronartium ribicola J.C. Fisch. The Canadian populations in particular have been heavily impacted, and in 2014, limber pine was designated endangered in Canada by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). Little is known about genetic resistance to WPBR in limber pine, but major gene resistance (MGR) has been characterized in some populations in the United States. This study examines resistance in seedling families from 13 parent trees from British Columbia, Alberta, and Oregon, representing the northern- and northwestern-most populations. Most families were susceptible, with 100% of the seedlings cankered, but one family from Alberta segregated 1:1 for cankered and canker free. This is the first report of (a) MGR in Canada of any of the four species of five-needle pines native to Canada and (b) any resistance in limber pine in Canadian populations and is the northernmost known incidence of putative R-gene resistance in a natural stand of any five-needle pine species. Many of the Canadian selections were from stands with high incidence of WPBR infection, and their high susceptibility in this trial suggests that further infection and mortality is likely in the Canadian populations.

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First Report of the White Pine Blister Rust Fungus, Cronartium ribicola, on Ribes odoratum in Indiana

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis-04-13-0442-pdn ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 98 (2) ◽

pp. 277-277 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

A. W. Wilson ◽

J. L. Beckerman ◽

M. C. Aime

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Bark Beetles ◽

The State ◽

Causal Agent ◽

Cronartium Ribicola ◽

White Pine Blister Rust ◽

White Pine ◽

Molecular Analyses ◽

First Report ◽

Blister Rust

Cronartium ribicola J. C. Fisch., causal agent of white pine blister rust (WPBR), is one of the most damaging pathogens of five-needle pines, forming aecial states on the trunk and branches and causing cankering, topkill, and branch dieback. Infection can predispose hosts to attack by other pests such as bark beetles, and can result in host mortality. Various species of Ribes, Pedicularis, and Castilleja are alternate hosts on which C. ribicola forms its uredinial and telial states during the mid-summer to fall. In an effort to mitigate the damage caused by white pine blister rust, the planting of ornamental species of Ribes, such as R. occidentalis, is prohibited in 14 states. Indiana currently has no restrictions on the planting of Ribes spp. Since 2010, a Cronartium sp. has been observed producing uredinia and telia on R. odoratum ‘Crandall’ H.L. Wendl. leaves in an urban environment in West Lafayette, Indiana. Symptoms include yellow-orange lesions on the leaf upper surface with uredinia on the underside. These persist from late summer until leaf drop. Telia were collected in 2011 to establish the identity of the causal agent using morphological and molecular analyses. Morphological comparisons between this specimen and other Cronartium species were made using Arthur (2). Filiform telial columns ranged from 0.5 to 1.5 mm in length. Teliospores were cylindrical to sub-ventricose, truncate on either end with one end generally tapering more than the other, and measured 9.0 to 18.6 × 37.2 to 60.0 μm (average 11.9 × 47.4 μm from 30 spores across 4 leaves). These teliospore measurements overlap those of C. ribicola and C. occidentale, but are more consistent with C. ribicola, in which the spores are wider and longer (8 to 12 × 30 to 60 μm) than in C. occidentale (9 to 10 × 27 to 56 μm). For molecular analyses, two nuclear ribosomal loci were sequenced: the internal transcribed spacer regions 1, 2, and 5.8S (ITS) and the 5′ end of the large subunit (28S) (1). The ITS sequence was 665 bp long (KF387533) and the 28S was 892 bp (KC876675). These sequences were queried to GenBank using a BLASTn search. The 28S shared 99% identity (891/892 bp) and the ITS shared 100% identity (663/663 bp) to other published C. ribicola sequences with no close matches to any other species with either locus. Both morphological and molecular methods indicate this species to be C ribicola, making this a first report of white pine blister rust on R. odoratum in Indiana. This fungus has been observed previously on R. odoratum in the northeastern United States (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, and New Hampshire), the Rockies (Colorado), northwestern United States (Washington), and Canada (3). In Indiana, C. ribicola has also been reported on R. cysnobati. There are no other reports of this fungus on any other host within the state. However, the aecial host, Pinus strobus, does grow within the state, and within West Lafayette. To our knowledge, WPBR has only been observed (not reported) once in Indiana in the past 30 years (Paul Pecknold, personal communication). Further monitoring of C. ribicola hosts is needed in Indiana to determine the extent of the disease. The specimen has been vouchered in the Arthur Herbarium (PUR N6734). References: (1) M. C. Aime. Mycoscience 47:112. 2006. (2) J. F. Arthur. Manual of the Rusts in United States and Canada. Purdue Research Foundation, 1934. (3) D. F. Farr and A. Y. Rossman. Fungal Databases Systematic Mycology and Microbiology Laboratory, ARS, USDA. Retrieved from http://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases/ April 23, 2013.

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White Pine Blister Rust Susceptibility in Ribes Species

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.31.4.609e ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 31 (4) ◽

pp. 609e-609

Author(s):

Kim E. Hummer ◽

Stan Pluta

Keyword(s):

Severe Infection ◽

The United States ◽

Economic Damage ◽

White Pine Blister Rust ◽

White Pine ◽

Rust Infection ◽

Blister Rust ◽

Leaf Surfaces ◽

Rust Susceptibility ◽

North And South America

In the late 1800s a European disease called white pine blister rust, Cronartia ribicola Fisher, was introduced into the United States. By 1937 this disease had naturalized and was firmly established in native Ribes across the country. White pine blister rust causes economic damage to white pines and infects leaves of some Ribes late in the summer after harvest. Ribes serve as obligate alternate hosts for this disease. Our objective was to determine which Ribes species were susceptible to white pine blister rust under field conditions in Corvallis, Ore., where inoculum is naturally present. In 1995 and 1996, 57 Ribes taxa from North and South America, Europe, and Asia, were evaluated in mid-August and mid-September for presence of white pine blister rust. Susceptibility was determined by the rust infection of the abaxial leaf surfaces. Rust infection was rated on a scale from 1, no infection observed, to 9, severe infection covering almost the entire surface of at least three or more leaves. Data from 1995 indicated that 22 Ribes taxa were susceptible to white pine blister rust, while 35 others had no infection. The 1996 data will be reported. Species without infection may offer resistance genes to breeders who wish to develop rust-resistant commercial fruit cultivars.

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Quantitative Disease Resistance to White Pine Blister Rust at Southwestern White Pine’s (Pinus strobiformis) Northern Range

Frontiers in Forests and Global Change ◽

10.3389/ffgc.2021.765871 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

Author(s):

Jeremy S. Johnson ◽

Richard A. Sniezko

Keyword(s):

Disease Resistance ◽

Major Gene ◽

Genetic Resistance ◽

Low Frequency ◽

The United States ◽

White Pine Blister Rust ◽

White Pine ◽

Quantitative Disease Resistance ◽

Blister Rust ◽

Pine Species

White pine blister rust, caused by the non-native, invasive fungal pathogen Cronartium ribicola, is a significant cause of mortality in white pines (Pinus subgenus Strobus) in North America. Along with climate-driven range contraction, mortality from blister rust can seriously impact the abundance and distribution of the nine white pine species native to the United States and Canada. Very little evaluation of this disease in southwestern white pine (Pinus strobiformis) has been previously undertaken, but genetic resistance to the disease has been documented, including major gene resistance (MGR) conferred by a dominant R gene. Data is emerging suggesting that the species also has quantitative disease resistance (QR). Our results suggest QR occurs at low frequency, with perhaps 10% of trees having a moderate level (> 35% survival). We assessed progeny arrays from 40 P. strobiformis families (1873 seedlings), originating from three populations, inoculated with C. ribicola. Subsequently, the seedlings were assessed for signs, symptoms and resulting impact in a common garden trial over a 7.5-year period to determine the types and frequency of resistance in a portion of this species’ range. There was a high incidence of both stem symptoms and mortality in the P. strobiformis families tested, and families ranged in survival from 0 to 84.6%. Three families had > 70% survival, representing perhaps the highest documented QR to date in a North American white pine species. Approximately 29.1% of the 441 surviving seedlings showed no stem symptoms, and of the approximately 70.8% of seedlings surviving with infections only few (24 of 316) had infections of moderate to high severity. QR traits associated with improved survival were primarily related to lower severity of infection, a reduced number of stem symptoms, and an increased number of bark reactions. Despite the high overall susceptibility, the presence of QR appears to be at a frequency and level useful to forest managers involved in restoration and reforestation efforts.

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Horticultural Perspective: History of White Pine Blister Rust

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.33.3.468d ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 468d-468

Author(s):

Kim E. Hummer

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

New Hampshire ◽

Control Program ◽

The United States ◽

White Pine Blister Rust ◽

Ural Mountains ◽

White Pine ◽

State Regulations ◽

Blister Rust ◽

History Of

White pine blister rust, Cronartium ribicola J. C. Fischer, requires a pine (Pinus L.) and a Ribes L. as obligate alternate hosts. The center of diversity for this rust is east of the Ural Mountains, where the organism evolved with P. cembra L and R. nigrum var. sibericum L over several million years. Susceptible Pinus strobus L from North America was imported into England in 1710 and was transplanted throughout eastern Europe. In 1865, rust was first reported on these introduced pines in Eastonia. In the late 1800s, the white pine nursery industry continued to develop in Europe, but was declining in the United States. American foresters began importing white pines from Europe. Rust was found on cultivated currants in New York in 1906 and U.S. inspectors began examining for the disease. In 1910, infected white pines were imported from France into Vancouver, British Columbia; in 1911, infected pines were found in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, Ontario, and Quebec. Additional rust-infected imported pines were found in nurseries in Wisconsin in 1913, and Minnesota in 1914. Rust spread to native pines in New York by 1915 and to Idaho by 1927. A summary of the blister rust control program, the recent spread of the disease, and the present state regulations will be presented.

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Origin and Distribution of Cr2, a Gene for Resistance to White Pine Blister Rust in Natural Populations of Western White Pine

Phytopathology ◽

10.1094/phyto.2003.93.6.691 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 93 (6) ◽

pp. 691-694 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Bohun B. Kinloch ◽

Richard A. Sniezko ◽

Gayle E. Dupper

Keyword(s):

Sierra Nevada ◽

Natural Populations ◽

The United States ◽

Hypersensitive Reaction ◽

White Pine Blister Rust ◽

Pinus Monticola ◽

White Pine ◽

Blister Rust ◽

Sugar Pine ◽

Western White Pine

The distribution and frequency of the Cr2 gene for resistance to white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola) in western white pine (Pinus monticola) was surveyed in natural populations of the host by inoculation of open-pollinated seedlings from 687 individual seed parents from throughout most of the species' range. Because Cr2 is dominant and results in a conspicuous hypersensitive reaction (HR) in pine needles, the phenotype can readily be detected in offspring of susceptible seed parents fertilized by unknown Cr2 donors in the ambient pollen cloud. Gametic frequencies of Cr2 were thus determined as the proportion of total challenged seedlings that were pollen receptors exhibiting the Cr2 phenotype. Zygotic frequencies, the proportion of seed parents with progeny that segregated in Mendelian ratios for the Cr2 phenotype to the total number of parents, were a complementary, though less precise, measure. Cr2 frequency was rare overall, ranging from 0.004 to 0.008 in the Sierra Nevada to about 0.001 in the central Cascade Range; it was undetectable further north in the Cascades, as well as in the Rocky Mountains and Coast Mountains of the United States and Canada. The diminishing frequency of Cr2 from the southern and central Sierra Nevada northward mirrors that of Cr1 in sugar pine (P. lambertiana) and points to this region as the origin of both genes. We rationalize that this coincidence may have resulted from protection that these genes may have conferred on both species to an endemic pine stem rust congeneric with C. ribicola (C. occidentale) in recent geologic epochs.

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Commercial Production of Currants and Gooseberries in the Inland Northwest and Intermountain West of the United States: Opportunities and Risks

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech.10.3.557 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 557-561 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Danny L. Barney

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

The United States ◽

Commercial Production ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

White Pine Blister Rust ◽

Intermountain West ◽

White Pine ◽

Cultivar Selection ◽

Inland Northwest ◽

Surrounding Areas

During the 1800s and early 1900s, red and white currants (Ribes L. subgenus Ribes), black currants (Ribes subgenus Coreosma), and gooseberries (Ribes subgenus Grossularia) were grown commercially in the United States. Because Ribes serve as alternative hosts of white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola J. C. Fischer) (WPBR), which was introduced from Europe, the federal government and many states either banned or severely restricted currant and gooseberry production beginning about 1933. The development of WPBR resistant pines and black currants (the most susceptible cultivated Ribes) renewed interest in commercial Ribes production. Climatic and soil conditions in selected areas of the U.S. inland northwest and intermountain west (INIW) are favorable for commercial currant and gooseberry production. Challenges to the establishment of a Ribes industry are labor, marketing, diseases, and pests. Careful site and cultivar selection are critical for successful commercial production. This article describes Ribes opportunities and risks associated with currant and gooseberry production in the INIW. The region includes Idaho and surrounding areas in Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

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