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BROWN SPOT NEEDLE BLIGHT
Brown spot needle blight kills foliage and retards growth of many species of pine, mainly in North America. Long known for causing significant growth loss in longleaf pine in the Gulf States, this tree disease has received more attention in recent decades because of needle browning and defoliation of landscape and Christmas tree plantings of ponderosa and Scotch (Scots) pine in the Great Lakes region. This tree disease only pines
Brown spot needle blight infects pine trees of all sizes but is most damaging on small pine trees. Disease symptoms appear as spots that often enlarge to bands that encircle needles and cause death of the needle beyond the location of the bands. In the South, spots appear at any time of year, but mostly from May to October. Symptoms are delayed until June or July in the central plains and until August in the Great Lakes region.
Brown spot needle blight can cause two types of lesions, and each are about 3 mm wide. The more common type is initially straw yellow, becoming light brown with a dark border. Lesions of this type on longleaf pine needles eventually appear raised because uninfected tissue between lesions shrinks as the needles die. The second type of lesion consists of a brown spot on an amber yellow band. The yellow tissue is infiltrated with resin. Diseased needles often have dead tips, central zones with several spots in green tissue, and green bases. Needles with many lesions appear mottled.
Warm, wet weather favors infection by brown spot needle blight. Fruiting bodies must be moist to produce and expel spores. Spores germinate and penetrate needles only when they are wet. Although infection can occur over a wide range of temperature, it is most rapid if night and day temperatures range between 70°F and 86°F.
Brown spot can easily be confused with Dothistroma needle blight. Where both diseases occur, diagnosis often depends upon microscopic identification of the conidial state of the causal fungus.
HOW TO CONTROL BROWN SPOT NEEDLE BLIGHT
Fungicide treatments are available to control brown spot needle blight. Susceptible trees will need to be protected from this disease throughout the growing season. Three or four fungicide treatments, applied at 8 to 10 week intervals, beginning in April and ending in October is generally adequate to control this tree disease.
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● Leonard
Owen Tree Service provides tree, lawn, and landscape services to the following cities and towns:
Genesee County, Michigan:
● Burton
● Davison
● Flushing
● Goodrich
● Linden
● Otisville
● Clio
● Fenton
● Gaines
● Grand Blanc
● Montrose
● Otter Lake
● Flint
● Genesee
● Lennon
● Mt Morris
● Swartz Creek
Lapeer County, Michigan:
● Almont
● Brown City
● Columbiaville
● Imlay City
● Metamora
● Peck
● Attica
● Clifford
● Dryden
● Lapeer
● North Branch
● Sandusky
● Hadley
● Mayville
● Otter Lake
● Silverwood
Macomb County, Michigan:
● Armada
● Clinton Twp
● Grosse Pointe
● Macomb
● New Haven
● St Clair Shores
● Centerline
● Detroit
● Grosse Pointe Farms
● Ray
● Sterling Heights
● Chesterfield
● Eastpointe
● Grosse Pointe Shores
● Memphis
● Romeo
● Utica
● Clinton
● Fraser
● Grosse Pointe Woods
● Mt Clemens
● Roseville
● Warren
● Harrison Twp
● New Baltimore
● Shelby Twp
● Washington
Oakland County, Michigan:
● Auburn Hills
● Bloomfield Village
● Ferndale
● Orion
● South Lyon
● Berkley
● Clarkston
● Franklin
● Madison Heights
● Ortonville
● Southfield
● Beverly Hills
● Clawson
● Hazel Park
● Milford
● Oxford
● Troy
● Bingham Farms
● Commerce Twp
● Highland
● Novi
● Pleasant Ridge
● Walled Lake
● Birmingham
● Davisburg
● Holly
● Oak Park
● Pontiac
● Waterford
● Bloomfield
● Detroit
● Huntington Woods
● Oakland
● Rochester
● West Bloomfield
● Bloomfield Hills
● Farmington
● Lake Orion
● Oakland Twp
● Rochester Hills
● White Lake
● Farmington Hills
● Lathrup Village
● Orchard Lake
● Royal Oak
● Wixom
St. Clair County, Michigan:
● Algonac
● Casco
● East China
● Harbor Beach
● Lexington
● Peck
● Allenton
● Clay
● Emmett
● Harsens Island
● Marine City
● Port Huron
● Berlin
● Clyde
● Fair Haven
● Jeddo
● Marysville
● Richmond
● Brockway
● Columbus
● Fort Gratiot
● Kimball
● Memphis
● Sandusky
● Capac
● Cottrellville
● Goodells
● Lakeport
● North Street
● St Clair
