Potential threats of plant pathogens to eucalyptus plantations In China

Hardy, G.E.St.J., Burgess, T.I. and Dell, B. (2003) Potential threats of plant pathogens to eucalyptus plantations In China. In: Eucalyptus plantations: research, management and development, 1-6 September 2002, Guangzhou, China.

Abstract

The eucalypt plantation forestry industry in China has expanded rapidly in the last decade. With this expansion, it is expected that pest and disease problems will increase. Devastating eucalypt pathogens already present in Asia include Phytophthora cinnamomi, Cryphonectria cubensis, Coniothyrium spp., Botryosphaeria spp., Mycosphaerella spp. and Cylindrocladium spp. There is an urgent need to train Chinese foresters and scientists to recognise eucalypt diseases and to establish a database for easy and rapid identification of disease problems. Good identification procedures in association with quarantine and breeding programs should help to reduce the impact of eucalypt diseases in Chinese plantations. This article gives an overview of the potential major threats to the Chinese eucalypt plantation industry and some strategies to manage disease incursions and their spread.