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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #385121
Research Project: Development of Knowledge-based Approaches for Disease Management in Small Fruit and Nursery Crops

Location: Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit

Title: Call it herbal distancing©

Author
item OHKURA, MANA - Oregon State University
item NACKLEY, LLOYD - Oregon State University
item Scagel, Carolyn
item Weiland, Gerald - Jerry

Submitted to: Digger
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/2021
Publication Date: 8/27/2021
Citation: Ohkura, M., Nackley, L., Scagel, C.F., Weiland, G.E. 2021. Call it herbal distancing©. Digger. https://www.diggermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Boxwood blight is a serious disease affecting the boxwood nursery industry in Oregon. Since its discovery in 2011, boxwood blight has spread to several nurseries throughout the state, but it is not clear how nursery production practices affect the spread of the disease. Here, we report preliminary results from an experiment looking at how plant spacing (0 versus 6 inches) and irrigation frequency (once, twice, or three times/day) affect the spread of disease from infected to healthy plants. Boxwood blight was much more mild and did not spread among plants that were spaced 6 inches apart, regardless of irrigation frequency. However, the disease was much more severe on plants spaced 0 inches apart, with the disease generally spreading faster and causing more damage on plants as irrigation frequency increased. These results are important because they show that spacing plants further apart and reducing irrigation frequency can limit the spread of boxwood blight in nurseries where this disease is present.