Survival of oak root systems following frill girdle herbicide treatment for oak wilt control

Abstract

Mechanical separation of root systems is widely used to prevent tree-to-tree vascular spread of oak wilt disease. A safe effective herbicide treatment would be valuable for this purpose in hilly, rocky, or urban settings. Three treatments were frill-girdle applied: 1) water, 2) undilutetd Garlon 3A (trichlopyr), or 3) half-strength aqueous Garlon 3A plus 24 ml per L Arsenal AC (imazapyr). Autumn, winter, and late summer treatments were applied to white, northern red, and black oak. Root system mortality was evaluated with the vital stain 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride. Root mortality occurred much more slowly than canopy mortality and too slowly for useful oak wilt control.

Parent Publication

• 13th Central Hardwoods Forest Conference

Citation

Bruhn, Johann N.; Wetteroff, James J., Jr.; Haugen, Linda. 2003. Survival of oak root systems following frill girdle herbicide treatment for oak wilt control. In: Van Sambeek, J. W.; Dawson, Jeffery O.; Ponder Jr., Felix; Loewenstein, Edward F.; Fralish, James S., eds. Proceedings of the 13th Central Hardwood Forest Conference; Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-234. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station: 544-550