P. ramorum stream find and using DDDI to screen samples

Under the Monitoring section in this months California Oak Mortality Task Force newsletter (www.suddenoakdeath.org.) there is an announcement of a recovery of P. ramorum from a King County waterway. With this new development it is more important than ever that if a high-risk foliar sample with P. ramorum-like symptoms is brought to your county office that you have it sent to the WSU Puyallup Plant Clinic for free diagnostic testing.

High-risk foliar samples include:
1)All rhododendrons and camellias purchased during or after 2003.
2)All known hosts directly along urban waterways 3)All known hosts that may have been irrigated with non-municipal water sources that have run through urban areas.

A host list is available at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/pram/downloads/pdf_files/usdaprlist.pdf

To learn what P. ramorum-like symptoms look like visit: http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/ppo/resources.html

For a pamphlet on how to package suspect samples for shipping and where to ship the samples to please visit: http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/ppo/pdf/Guide%20for%20Submitting%20Samples%20in%20Washington.pdf

If you are not sure whether a sample displays P. ramorum-like symptoms and if it meets other criteria qualifying it as “high-risk” you are encouraged to send preliminary digital samples via DDDI for an initial screening before you send it by mail.