[MPWG] Microstegium disease update

[ForestRuss at aol.com]

APWG:
 
About six weeks ago I posted a question about whether anyone had noticed a  
disease killing Japanese stiltgrass, Microstegium vimineum.
 
The response and number of questions posted was very interesting and the  
hope among resource managers and ecological researchers has been both 
palpable  and exciting.
 
Results are in from samples of diseased Japanese stiltgrass that were sent  
to labs in Indiana, West Virginia and Maryland.  All agree that the  
pathogen killing stiltgrass is a fungus in the family, Bipolaris.  
 
There are scientists and other participants in the APWG list that can  
probably delve into a discussion of Bipolaris and the range of concerns from its 
 potential as a biocontrol agent to its relationship to some extremely 
serious  diseases of certain food crops.   All sorts of issues related to  
Bipolaris have already come to light that are far beyond the traditional  
training for a dirt forester like me but I would enjoy such a discussion. 
 
Although I am extremely excited to see anything killing Japanese stiltgrass 
 I am also concerned about some areas of severe mortality I witnessed in 
native  woodland plants about the same time I was documenting all the problems 
and  health issues that stiltgrass was having.
 

Purple spots and lesions appeared on the leaves of a number of species of  
woodland grasses that were similar in appearance to those that were 
developing  on diseased stiltgrass plants.
 
Below is a link to a research paper that briefly mentions  Microstegium.  
The link was provided by 
Dave McCann at WVU
 
_http://www.invasiveplants.net/monitor/28CogonGrass.aspx_ 
(http://www.invasiveplants.net/monitor/28CogonGrass.aspx) 
 
Russ Richardson, Certified Forester
Crummies Creek Tree Farm
PO Box 207
Arnoldsburg, WV 25234
 
_forestruss at aol.com_ (mailto:forestruss at aol.com) 
 
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