First report of Gibberella circinata in France
The NPPO of France recently informed the EPPO Secretariat of the first record of Gibberella circinata (anamorph Fusarium circinatum – EPPO Action list A1) on its territory, in Languedoc-Roussillon. The presence of G. circinata was confirmed on 2005-12-07 by the National Laboratory of Mycology at Malzeville, on a sample of Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir). This sample had been collected from a declining P. menziesii (approximately 20 years old), in a private garden at Perpignan (department of Pyrénées-Orientales). In this garden, enquiries revealed that pine trees (Pinus sp.) had started to decline at the end of summer 2004 with the death of one tree, followed by a second one in spring 2005. Both dead pine trees were cut up. Then, a P. menziesii tree (the one from which the infected sample was collected) started to decline, as well as two other coniferous trees (Pinus sp., P. menziesii). It was considered that all these declining trees, as well as the remaining stumps, were infected by G. circinata. No other susceptible coniferous tree was identified in their vicinity. Eradication measures were initiated in March and April 2006. The infected P. menziesii and the two suspect coniferous trees were cut up, and all remaining stumps (5 in total, 2 P. menziesii and 3 Pinus) were up-rooted and destroyed. The NPPO considers that this outbreak has now been eradicated.
The situation of Gibberella circinata in France can be described as follows: Transient, found on a few trees (Pinus, Pseudotsuga menziesii) in a private garden in Pyrénées-Orientales, under eradication.
Sources
NPPO of France, 2006-06