ESTABLISHING THREAT OF XYLELLA FASTIDIOSA WITHIN WOODY BIOMASS SPECIES IN THE GREATER NEW JERSEY AREA

Bacterial leaf scorch (BLS) is a devastating disease of oak and other shade trees. As part of on-going surveys for the disease in several communities, it was determined that the total value for trees with BLS was $2.4 million for two communities combined. We estimate that many of these trees will be removed within the next 10-year period; thus, these communities must plan for these losses and take preventive measures to reduce future losses. Without a clear understanding of BLS of oak, however, it is difficult to devise preventive or remedial strategies that community arborists can use to delay or manage the epidemic. The biology and spread of BLS, caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, is complex and is determined in large part by the species of insects that vector the bacterium, bacterial strain, species/genetics of the host tree, and alternative hosts (plants that harbor the bacterium and may serve as a reservoir for disease). Critical to the understanding of BLS of oak is development of sensitive detection methods sufficient to detect the pathogen in shade trees, alternative host vegetation, and vectors. In addition, assessment of a) key components of the epidemic (including hosts, vectors, and the alternative host vegetation that may serve as potential reservoirs of the pathogen), b) the distribution of the disease throughout the range of susceptible shade tree hosts, and c) therapeutic options for disease management in the field is expected to contribute significantly towards managing the disease and slowing its devastating impact on the state and region.