Anosum root rot (aka Heterobasidion annosum)

Do many of you have issues w/ it? It's an issue w/ pine stumps. The state forest requires treating cut stumps on logging of pines in my area, unfortunately most private timber sales aren't willing to pay for it. Today's mechanized harvesters are set up to auto spray stumps after cutting, but it's an added cost...but it's also a growing concern. It's a damaging fungus. Hopefully it's not in your area.

It’s a problem in WI but has been documented only once or twice in MN. Turns out there is a predatory fungus that feeds on Heterobasidion and it is much more common over here. At least, that is what the initial research indicates. So we haven’t had to deal with it.

I have heard about some loggers getting set up with spray equipment on their processor head. Sounds like a slick way to do it. I can see it being a cost up front and it takes an extra second or two on each tree. Last I heard you could use a mixture of water and borax to spray the stumps and that is a pretty cheap solution.

If you have pine that needs to be thinned you can go out and spray the stumps with borax. It’s best to do it every day while they are harvesting but the solution is pretty painless.

Interesting, does only affect pine trees?

The models say if it jumps to humans it could kill 250 Million people!

I meant this to be a serious post, as it isn't a joke here in Wi.

run, to my knowledge it pertains to pine trees.

As long as the stumps are treated within a certain period of time (i think like a day) it won't spread.

Aje, thanks . I know that there are joker's on here.

As a logger here in Wisconsin yes I am very familiar with it. The worst case of it that I know of was over by Stevens Point. Wiped out the whole 40 or 80 acre Red pine plantation. Had to clear cut the whole thing. Being enrolled in the MFL program the landowner then had to replant with something other than pine. State and all county pine sales is mandatory to treat cut stumps within 24 hrs. Some MFL properties too. Especially if it is a sale administered by a consultant. Usually to get the sale cutting notice ok'd by the DNR you will need to treat stumps. They have a map that shows where Anosum has been found in the state. If you are within 25 miles of an infected site you need to treat. DNR and county requires you to treat from April 15th thru November 30th unless the ground is snow covered. A private land owner can treat his own. I have had private land owners treat there own with Borax. They didn't spay. They just bought 20 mule team borax and covered the stumps with that, State and county requires that I treat with Cellutreat. Mix with water and a die so they can see the treated stumps. As a logging contractor I am required to do a lot more than a land owner. Cellutreat by federal law is considered a pesticide. I have to be a licensed pesticide applicator as an individual. Also have to license my business. Both are yearly. In order to be licensed I have to take a test. Which lasts for 5 yrs. Then need to test again. All these cost money. Then I have to purchase equipment to spray and also buy the product. I also have to keep records as to where I spray. How much area I spray and amount of product I use, concentration mixed. All daily. Then tale into consideration the loss of production due to treating. Some machines you can put sprayers on. I have sprayed with a machine. The 2 harvestor's I currently have I don't have spayers on. I use a back pack sprayer. Many logger's use them. A lot less maintenance compared to machine systems. So I do adjust the amount I pay for stumpage a bit. I personally spray all the pine I cut April thru November no matter the land ownership. I just think it's the right thing to do. Maybe if we would have been ahead of the curve and had some means to treat for the spread of oak wilt here. We wouldn't have the problem with that like we do. The ounce of prevention thing.

Thanks for the gr8 post. Very interesting to have your personal insight. I knew it was a pain but I didn't know all those details. The trouble I have around here is many people are rather recklace on private jobs.

If you leave the stumps untreated, will we experience another Bath tissue shortage? Just curious and nosy.

Well, it makes it much easier for the problem to spread if stumps aren't treated, so theoretically I would say it could.

Aje , much appreciated for your response.

I was cutting a survey line last weekend. I used the 20 Mule Team borax option. I just sprinkled it on the stumps. It's not technically 1 of the 2 options WDNR seems to recommend, but I seem to hear that it's worth trying the borax option, so I gues that's how I'll do it. Hopefully it works. It can be bought, cheap, at the grocery store. The rot is within 25 miles of me, and there's no cure for it once/if it hits your property. Unfortunately many do no treatment. I thought I heard small stumps don't need the treatment, but I guess I'd probably err on the safe side and treat all the pine stumps.

Update:
At an invasive workshop I attended today, they said Cellu Treat basically is borax

I'm thinking I should consider mixing borax w/ h20 in a squirt bottle rather than shaking it on the stump as a powder

All interesting.
I ran across this on Youtube just a couple days ago discussing boron, boric acid, and borax.

You folks in the discussion will find this beneficial.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfBXtupgZKM

Thanks for posting