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Beauty through Science
Matthew Borden
Research Scientist- Plant Pathologist
Bartlett Tree Research Laboratory, Charlotte, NC
“At Bartlett, we believe in beauty through science – and research has been the key to our success.” I can think of no better example of this mission focus than the recent breakthroughs in beech leaf disease (BLD) management efforts. BLD is caused by an invasive nematode, Litylenchus crenatae mccannii. This nematode infests the developing buds of beech twigs (Fagus spp.) causing gall-like deformities in the leaves, defoliation, and twig dieback. Over multiple seasons of progressive infestation, beech can be severely weakened and enter the decline spiral. BLD is active in at least 15 states, as well as Ontario, and continues to move in regions where beech occur in forests and landscapes.
Unless you are incredibly lucky, developing management tools takes time. This is especially true for a pathosystem like BLD, with many novel pest/host variables and unknowns. Indeed, the first several years of lab and trials taught us much about what will fail to adequately control the nematode. Eventually, we discovered a nematicide that yielded outstanding curative effects – and then another! A dual focus on efficacy and accessibility has sped adoption of these tools by many organizations. We focused on creatively adapting commercially available products to fit the need, facilitating new label allowances, and published our findings in open-access journals to ensure that the broader arboricultural community can learn along with us.
For seven years, BLD has been a priority for our team at Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories – a priority representing a major investment of research costs, staff, and time only possible with the support of Robert Bartlett, Jr. and other leaders in our company. Along the way, we have had outstanding collaborators to help facilitate the research, particular Rainbow Ecoscience, research-curious clients, nursery professionals, and Land Trust organizations. As seen many times in the past, the investment in research is already yielding returns by saving trees and benefiting tree care providers across the industry.
It is immensely satisfying to now see the preservation of beech trees in arboreta, landscapes, and historically significant sites. Continued support has also allowed us to move into new avenues of BLD research, with even greater investment needs but potentially greater ecological payoff as we investigate BLD management for beech-dominant forests. This research not only fills a critical gap in disease management but reaffirms how scientific rigor and the arboriculture community can address emerging tree health crises.
Want to learn more about beech leaf disease and the ongoing management research?
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In 2024, we published the first-ever collection of BLD management trials with collaborators: "Exploring Novel Management Methods for Beech Leaf Disease, an Emerging Threat to Forests and Landscapes" https://doi.org/10.24266/0738-2898-42.1.1
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