July 2024

Assessing horticultural products as alternative treatments for managing fungal foliar infections

Stephanie M. Adams, PhD

The Morton Arboretum

This study’s goal was to evaluate the efficacy of topically applied products for managing Guignardia leaf blotch on buckeye (Aesculus glabra) and cedar rust leaf spot on downy hawthorn (Crataegus mollis). The active ingredients included paraffin wax, a non-ionic spreader sticker (SS), Neem oil, thiophanate methyl + chlorothalonil (TMC), and water. In spring 2015, two applications were made during flower bud break for hawthorns and leaf bud break for buckeyes. The treated trees were evaluated weekly until August. The data collection focused on measuring the percentage of leaf tissue covered in symptoms and the percentage of the canopy with affected leaves.   

The results were complex to analyze due to premature defoliation and new leaf production of both host species. One example of this is the SS on hawthorn, which had the earliest defoliation and leaf regrowth. The results of this treatment appear to have poor control at the beginning of the study and the best control at the end, because the new leaves were not infected.  

The buckeye application results found less leaf tissue with leaf blotches with TMC and wax treatments and a lower percentage of canopy symptoms with TMC, wax, and Neem oil. The results of the hawthorn treatments found less leaf tissue with leaf spots with TMC and a lower percentage of canopy symptoms with TMC and wax.  

TMC treatments affect spore germination and ingress into the plant, which can lead to resistance. Wax and the SS change the leaf surface, preventing spore-host recognition and spore germination.  

Lead Donors

We are deeply grateful to the following people and organizations whose accumulated contributions to TREE Fund in 2024 surpassed $2,500 or more as of June:

Wright Service Corp.

Iowa Arborist Association

New England Chapter ISA

See the full list of lead donors who make our vital tree research and education work possible on our website.

Spring 2024 Grant Program Recipients

TREE Fund is proud to announce the 2024 scholarship program grant awardees from the spring 2024 application cycle.

Two grants were awarded from the spring application cycle, with awardee’s projects focusing on aiding nurseries and vegetation management.

The Barborinas Family Fund Grant, which supports work with study of the processes of the nursery industry with the focus on root system and above ground structures was awarded to NVK Nurseries and Mr. Ryan Munroe for their project, “Improving Tree Root Quality from Seedling to Finished Tree” in the amount of $10,000.

The Utility Arborist Research Fund Grant (UARF), established in 2010 with Utility Arborist Association, supports work with real importance and benefit to utility tree care professionals. The 2024 UARF Grant was awarded to West Virginia University and Dr. Paul Kinder Jr. for their project, “Improving Future Utility Vegetation Management Options by Developing a Public Collection of Open-Source Annotated Machine Learning Data Archive” in the amount of $50,000.

TREE Fund’s next grant application cycle is fall of 2024 and will be opening soon, with applications being accepted between August 1 and October 1. Six grant opportunities will be available for application during this cycle. Additional information on the grants available this fall and the application process can be found on TREE Fund’s website, www.treefund.org. 

Attending the ISA Conference in August?

TREE Fund’s CEO & President, Paul Putman and Grants and Development Manager, Heath Hupke, will be attending this year’s ISA Conference in Atlanta. Please be sure to stop by the booth and say hello if you are attending!

TREE Fund is also excited to host a silent auction at the Reception on Sunday evening. Donations are being gathered from our ISA Chapters and Partners. If you would like to support us by either donating items or supporting our efforts, please reach out to Heath at hhupke@treefund.org.

TREE Fund Liaison Spotlight

Every ISA chapter recruits a volunteer to serve as their TREE Fund Liaison. These volunteers spend extra time attending meetings, spreading the word about TREE Fund happenings, events, and news, and often being the point person for TREE Fund fundraisers at their local chapters.

We'd like to highlight these wonderful volunteers and let you know a little more about them.

Utah Chapter Liaison: Alex C. Morris

Grounds Supervisor, Jordan River Utah Temple

Two and a half years as a TREE Fund Liaison.

Q: Why do you enjoy being an arborist?

A: I have always loved climbing trees. Even when I was a child, I was climbing with my twin brother into trees and getting into trouble for it. That love of being in trees moved into a career where the property I work in has over 500 trees. In my younger years you would always see me in the trees. In other words, I love trees.

Q: Why did you choose to be the liaison for your chapter?

A: I have a long history with the ISA. I remember when the transition happened that formed TREE Fund. I have served in many capacities in my local chapter and when this opportunity came, I lobbied for it and it happened.

Q: Why do you feel the need to communicate TREE Fund’s mission and events to chapter members?

A: I have great hope for the future of TREE Fund. My personal hope is that we in the west can realize some endowments that will have greater focus on western trees' concerns using TREE Fund's organization, as have the existing endowments that have an eastern US focus.

Q: What would you like to learn more about in your field or what research would you like to see done?  

A: Not so much what I would like to learn as much as seeing the rising generation build their capacity through opportunities from the TREE Fund's research results. Even so much to say have more opportunities for our regional issues with trees to be a greater part of the research pool. 

Q: Why is new research important to you?

A:  As communities continue to grow, resources such as water becomes more and more of a challenge in our landscapes. Valid information to leaders in our communities to provide sustainable living systems in our community forests must happen with new information coming to them from valid sources and not emotional hysterics.

Tour des Trees 2024 Registration Deadline is July 30!

Registration ends on July 30, so commit to riding and join us for the 2024 Tour des Trees in New England.

You won't want to miss out on five days of riding from September 22 to 28.

Help us to spread the word about tree research and education throughout our route to groups, supporters, children, and locals. Our journey this year will start with a dinner at the Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens in Stamford, CT where we will celebrate ISA's 100th anniversary in the place where it all started.

This year's route is beautiful and our schedule is packed with fun activities that will also allow us to learn more about the trees and tree care practices in the region. It's a learning and growing experience for all and it all helps to grow the scholarships and grants that TREE Fund offers. See our website for the latest information.

Registration and information can be found at www.treefund.org/tourdestrees.

Or, join us virtually and earn prizes! Can't get to New England? Show your support for TREE Fund by registering for the Virtual Tour des Trees at home and completing your own fitness goals on your own time. Wonderful prizes available for those that hit fundraising goals. See website for details. https://www.treefund.org/virtual-ride-option.

Final Call to be a Tour des Trees Sponsor!

As a nonprofit organization, we depend upon the generosity of our corporate sponsors and individual donors.

Tour des Trees sponsors have the ability to interact directly with riders and community members during the Tour and show that tree research is important to them.

If you or your company would like more information on becoming a TREE Fund or Tour des Trees sponsor, please contact Paul at pputman@treefund.org or Jonathan at jcain@treefund.org for more information or to see a sponsor kit.

Free Webinar Series

Back again this year, TREE Fund is proud to partner with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System to bring you free education offerings.

Next Webinar

October 8, 2024. Noon CT.

Presenter: Dr. Robert Fahey

Presentation: Monitoring and Modeling Changes in Street Tree Communities Over Time

Registration will be available two weeks prior to the webinar. See our Webinar page for more information. https://treefund.org/webinars

TREE Fund’s 1-hour webinars are free and offer 1.0 CEU credit for live broadcasts from the International Society of Arboriculture and the Society of American Foresters. Registration and information will become available on our website approximately two weeks before each webinar date.

Upcoming Webinars (registration opens about two weeks prior)

• November 5, 2024. Dr. Greg Dahl. Tree Caused Outages – What we know and what we have learned.
• December 17, 2024. Dr. Rebecca Abney and Ms. Holly Campbell. Biochar for Tree Growth and Water Quality: Exploring Potential in Urban and Disturbed Soils

Missed a webinar? Watch it anytime on our website.

CEU Credit for Recorded Webinar

TREE Fund offers ISA CEU credits for one recorded webinar: "Loading of a Tie-in Point While Climbing." If you missed this webinar, you can now watch the recording and earn ISA CEU credits by completing a 20 question quiz with 80% accuracy. Learn more on our website.

TREE Fund

Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund

1755 Park St. Suite #200, Naperville, IL 60563

(630) 369-8300

treefund@treefund.org

www.treefund.org

TREE Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to support scientific discovery and dissemination of new knowledge in the fields of arboriculture and urban forestry.

TREE Fund recently earned our 2024 Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency! Check out our nonprofit profile to keep up to date with our impact. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/shared/17bf1c65-c913-4096-8695-11f0dc3fa73f.

Keep this link handy, we want to make sure you always have the information you need to support our work with trust and confidence. 

TREE Fund has also earned the 4 out of 4 Star rating from Charity Navigator for 2024.