What is pine wood nematode disease?
Pine wood nematode disease is one of the most dangerous and devastating diseases in the global forest ecosystem, which is extremely contagious and is known as the "cancer" of pine trees.
In the natural state, once a single pine plant is infected with the disease, it can die in more than 40 days at the earliest, and the entire pine forest can be destroyed within three to five years.
Pine wood nematode disease was first discovered in 1982 in the Zhongshan Mausoleum in Nanjing, mainland China, and over the years, it has spread rapidly by leaps and bounds, and 666 county-level administrative regions in 18 provinces including Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Liaoning have been included in the list of epidemic areas.
Vector insects carrying pine wood nematodes emerge from susceptible pine trees and feed on healthy pine trees to replenish nutrients. The pine wood nematode enters the pine tree through a gnawing wound, causing an infection of the pine tree and multiplying in large numbers.
How can I tell if a pine tree is infected with pine wood nematode disease?
01
Pine trees infected with pine wood nematode disease generally die during the growing season, especially in summer and autumn, and the infected pine leaves will gradually lose green and yellow, and finally turn reddish-brown. The dead branches and leaves hang on the branches in a drooping shape, but they generally do not fall off in the year.
02
When we find that the pine tree has reddish-brown or yellow-brown needles, or some whole pine trees have withered, dead and drooping but do not fall off, we should report to the local forestry department in time.
How to control pine wood nematode disease?
01
In order to effectively curb the severe situation of the spread of pine wood nematode disease, the General Office of the State Council issued the Notice on Further Strengthening the Prevention and Treatment of Pine Wood Nematode Disease in 2002.
02
In 2014, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Opinions on Further Strengthening the Prevention and Control of Forestry Pests", which listed pine wood nematodes as major forestry pests.
03
In 2018, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration issued the newly revised "Management Measures for Pine Wood Nematode Disease Epidemic Areas" and "Technical Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pine Wood Nematode Disease" and other normative documents, requiring local forestry authorities to carry out intensive deterministic felling of diseased and dead pine trees during the non-feathering period of vector insects in winter and spring every year, and the harvested diseased trees are crushed and burned on the spot.
04
In combination with the actual situation, various regions selected measures such as pesticide control, vertical wood trap control, perforation and injection to control vector insects.
05
The pine trees in front of and behind the houses of the people in the epidemic areas also need to be cleaned and destroyed in time, and the whole society should be actively mobilized to participate in the prevention and control of pine wood nematode disease.
How to regulate pine wood nematode disease outbreaks?
01
Artificially transporting infected pine and pine products such as optical cable reels, cables, and packing boxes is the main cause of pine wood nematode disease. In order to further strengthen supervision and effectively improve the effectiveness of prevention and control, the State Forestry and Grassland Administration's newly revised "Pine Wood Nematode Disease Epidemic Areas and Management Measures" stipulates that local forestry authorities shall establish and improve the epidemic monitoring and census mechanism, and regularly carry out daily monitoring and special surveys of pine plants within their jurisdiction.
02
Forestry and plant quarantine institutions regularly carry out quarantine inspections on wood-related units and individuals, seriously investigate and deal with violations of laws and regulations, and investigate the responsibility of relevant responsible persons in accordance with the law.
Source: National Forestry and Grassland Administration
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