Courtesy of the San Luis Obispo County Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures
Bay Laurel Trees trees in Cambria, Atascadero and the city of San Luis Obispo exhibiting symptoms akin to Sudden Oak Death are being tested to see if they do have the disease. The samples were submitted to the California Department of Food and Agriculture laboratory for analysis.
Sudden Oak Death (SOD), Phytophthora ramorum, is a serious plant disease threatening several oak species in California. It is already established in 15 Northern California counties including Monterey County. Counties infected with this disease fall under very restrictive federal and state quarantines affecting the movement of host plants.
Early detection of Phytophthora ramorum, the SOD pathogen, on native Bay Laurel trees is essential to slow the spread of SOD to oak trees. The sooner it is found, the sooner effective management strategies can be implemented to prevent oak trees from dying, which changes the vegetative composition of oak woodlands resulting in increased susceptibility to wildfires.
On April 24, 2018, licensed Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures staff collected five official samples from Bay Laurel trees with SOD-like symptoms in Cambria, Atascadero and the city of San Luis Obispo. The samples were submitted to the California Department of Food and Agriculture laboratory for analysis. Lab results are expected within the next week.
On April 20 and 21, 2018, a group of volunteers led by a research group from UC Berkley, known as the “SOD Blitz”, collected dozens of samples of Bay Laurel trees with SOD-like symptoms. As part of their ongoing research, samples were sent to the UC Berkeley laboratory for analysis. Results of their findings should be available in fall, 2018.
If all official samples are negative, the county will remain designated free from SOD. However, if any of the official samples are positive for the presence of SOD, a federal and state quarantine will be triggered for the entire county, regulating the movement of host plants. We will work closely with the nurseries shipping host plant material outside the quarantine area to implement quarantine restrictions.
More information about SOD will be provided as it becomes available. To learn about SOD, visit: www.suddenoakdeath.org
