Phytophthora

People generally don’t know much about the hundreds of plant diseases that afflict the trees which grow around them. Unfortunately, it’s for that reason that more are unable to identify whether a specimen is sick or not. As a result, hundreds of trees die on an annually as a direct consequence of this sad fact. Hence, it’s vital to educate oneself on the many common illnesses that take the lives of many trees around them. After all, the majority of which is brought forth by a large group of pathogens called phytophthoras.
The etymology of the name phytophthora originates from the Greek language. It combines the words “phyto” and “phthora” which means plant and destroyer respectively. As such, the term phytophthora directly translates to “plant destroyer” in English. If anything, that alone should raise alarms and cause individuals to eradicate the pathogen in all its incarnations. To help you, we’ve decided to list down is a list of the most prominent species of phytophthoras in the UK.

• Phytophthora alni

Phytophthora alni is a species of phytophthora that exclusively infects alder trees. It was first identified in England back in 1993 and has since been found elsewhere. The pathogen has an affinity for riverbanks as the cool and damp atmosphere there allows it to thrive. Although there are indeed ways to treat any trees that are infected, people haven’t been able to effectively rid the country of the hassle. Consequently, thousands of alders have passed away on an annual basis in the UK and other places where the pathogen can be found.

• Phytophthora infestans

The Great Famine of Ireland during the 19th century was solely caused by this pathogen. While today, it doesn’t bring about lots of damage to the local ecosystems, it still annually infects trees and cash crops in the UK. Luckily, advancements in modern technology have largely reduced the chances of plants getting infected. Moreover, scientists have come up with numerous methods to keep the pathogen at bay and prevent it from once again causing the damage that it once did over two hundred years ago.

• Phytophthora kernoviae

Scientists have branded this species of phytophthora as a new discovery. Fascinatingly, it has been found in Ireland, Britain, and New Zealand. All of which are territories that were once part of the great British Empire. With that said, the species hasn’t afflicted many trees in England and is perceived as a minor nuisance. Nevertheless, the rapid rate at which phytophthoras evolve can possibly cause this species to turn into a major problem in the future. Because of that, infected specimens must get treated with caution and never get used for timber. Additionally, it’s also a must to not process their remains into mulch or compost and instead burn them.

• Phytophthora austrocedri

A strange thing about this species is that it’s commonly found in South America where it kills large numbers of Chilean cedars in Patagonia. The manner in which the pathogen came to the UK is a mystery that continuously puzzles scientists. However, since it was discovered in Britain back in 2011, this version of phytophthora has been concluded by the Forest Research to be the main reason behind the death of the juniper bushes within the grounds of the Moor House - Upper Teesdale Natural Nature Reserve in the North Pennines of England.

• Phytophthora ramorum

The generic name of the illness which this kind of phytophthora causes is Ramorum disease. In the United States, it’s also known as “sudden oak death” because it significantly damages the North American oak and tanoak species with such velocity that ridding them of the pathogen once they’re infected is almost impossible. Fortunately, the species hasn’t affected the species of oaks that grow in England, although we do have a lot of American oaks here. Regardless of that, it is still dangerous as it has brought many larch trees to their deaths and affected the timber industry in the country which relies on timber from the species.