That said, severing affected roots is an uncommon treatment for oak wilt. So far in 30 years working in Horticulture, every article that espouses the use of cornmeal as a fungicide links back to the same person. In my opinion, just using the Trichoderma is not reliable. @OrganicLawnCare: OK. Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott wrote this article specifically debunking the widespread (at least on the internet) myth that corn meal is a fungicide. Now I may not have fancy letters at the end of my name, But I am a state licensed arborist and supervisory pesticide license holder with 30 years of experience under my belt in the world of horticulture ans IPM Instead, I would encourage anyone in the South with a fungus problem to give the experiment a try. If you would like to know more about oak wilt, how to identify it, and the potential treatment options, there are several good resources availa-ble. More cornmeal research needed before we allow the publish or perish guys to scoff at those of us who have found it to be effective in certain garden situations. Science has always had the potential and the ability to benefit us all, but it doesnt always. In addition, PR-proteins expressed in apparently healthy tissues during normal plant growth such as seed development and flowering, may have additional unsuspected roles in morphogenesis or in symbiosis. In fact, if one does a internet search for zeamatin, youll find many links to research papers on this topic. The good news is that oak wilt is preventable and treatable. Why corn meal is a better fertilizer than bone meal? Mulch is far more expensive than putting down a little bit of corn meal. Based on your other writing I still dont think you would recommend the use of cornmeal even if it was proven effective. Thank you for this forum to support Mr. Howard Garrett and his good work bringing the Natural Way Mainstream. A photo monitoring study has been developed to capture the progression of oak wilt symptoms. Oak wilt. Thanks, Linda. Winter cold and chill hours for fruit, Another drainage solution that makes problems worse. Cover crops also vary in N content and mineralization rate after incorporation. They are also working with Salicylic Acid (active ingredient in aspirin) for SIR effects and several other products and organisms. You dont know that it works, youve described two independent events without any proof that one is the causative agent of the other. learned about oak wilt and prevention measures through site visits or attendance at outreach events. MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer, committed to achieving excellence through a diverse workforce and inclusive culture that encourages all people to reach their full potential. Perhaps someone might want to begin with spreading cornmeal on newly emerging hollyhock foliage in the spring, repeat treating on the soil once a week throughout the growing season to prevent the common rust problem. Jay: I commend you for your comments; well said. The original Texas A&M studys statement regarding cornmeal was that it increased the population of beneficial fungi in the soil which helped control disease. If the stand is mostly oak, then most of the stand will be cut. Microbes can grow on cornmeal, and in fact cornmeal agar is commonly used in labs as a growth medium for many species of fungi. Oak wilt is one of the most destructive tree diseases in the U.S., killing millions of trees in 76 counties of Central, North and West Texas. Stopping the spread through the roots Measures can be taken to break root connections between. Some things are true whether you believe it or not. In response to those who believe that corn meal is a fertillizer: there is only one paper published on this topic. During the spring, evergreen oak trees will shed their old leaves, while simultaneously growing new leaves. It can be found in MN, NY, Tx, IL, OH all together 21 states are infected. One paper grew Trichoderma in soil amended with cornmeal as a nutrient source. Its pretty clear that cornmeal will enhance Trichoderma populations in the lab. If an oak gets injured during that time period, you should support the tree in its healing by minimizing stress wherever possible. Tonight, Im going to start soaking some corn meal, and tomorrow Ill hand-apply it to one particularly rusty daylily, as well as working some corn meal into the soil around this plant. If you witness unusual leaf wilting and drop off on oak trees where you live, please call the NYSDEC Forest Health Information Line toll-free at 1-866-640-0652 to report it. October 17, 2014. Because this belief has never been supported with anything other than anecdotal evidence, pointing this out constitutes myth-busting. Per Wikipedia, In science, the burden of proof rests on those making a claim, not on the critic. Oak seedlings, not stump sprouts, are usually free to grow. I am quoting someone else. I grew up on a 800 acre grain farm, we always had the greeniest, healthiest lawn and the tastiest vegetables I ever had. However, according to Michigan State University Extension, autumn is also the time of year to treat stands that have been infected with the oak wilt disease. So I am naturally suspicious of anyone who talks about absolutes. All you have to say is, repeated testing at Cornell, Penn State, Georgia Tech, and Texas A&M have found corn meal to be unreliable as an antifungal agent. or words to that effect. I already quoted it earlier. The data appear to be out there, its just a question of finding them. If you dress the wound, it won't be able to compartmentalize. Any publishable research requires time and money not just expertise. New Oak Wilt Locations Found in Glenville . Its been my observation that they love plants with small flowers, not sure why, but I allow certain types of weeds to grow and they feed off of them and then go and kill many of the pests. I used to live in Texas and about 15-18 years ago met the good DirtDoctor and had even discovered he and I are alums of the same University, which according to Tim on the June 30th posting, so is the author of the article, Marie Annotti. http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/content/63/8/1516.abstract, Jaymee, that article simply reports on the types of fungi in cornmeal. I agree with you though. As with compost tea or any other untested material, it is up proponents to demonstrate, conclusively, that it works. The bad news is that it's such an aggressive disease, it's almost always too late to save the tree by the time a homeowner or gardener notices. Im sure youd know how to conduct a proper test but for completeness this is one way to bust the myth. sized heaps of cornmeal in the pots or on the ground. A fungicide can also sometimes be used as a preventative measure as well. Thats the only criterion we Garden Professors can use to guide recommendations on any practice or product. Corn meal has virtually no nitrogen. Timber harvesting and utility rights-of-way maintenance during this time, when oaks are part of the residual stand, is risky business. Feel free to pass on to others. In science, the burden of proof rests on those making a claim, not on the critic. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoscience). And talk about expensive! Here, a trench between trees was dug 48 inches deep and 8 inches wide. I divided my infected plants into two groups less than 3 meters apart. And since I cant find a single published paper that links those two search terms together, then theres no supporting evidence at this point. Since these writers have actual boots on the ground from all over the world, there must be something to this idea. One reason why the disease spreads faster in red oaks than in white oaks is because the root systems of red oaks tend to graft together so the fungus can spread more easily. Product Description. This information is for educational purposes only. I understand you cant recommend cornmeal for lawn disease because of EPA regulations but the EPA itself has published a document concerning compost and how it can control plant disease and even insects. She also is one of the Garden Professors a group of academic colleagues who educate and entertain through their blog and Facebook pages. White oaks will show infected annual rings when viewed in cross section. Id encourage you to mix up your lily plantings with plants that arent susceptible to rust. We used two buckets or 10 gallons per tree. A tree with foliar symptoms of oak wilt, as well as any non-symptomatic oak tree immediately adjacent to a tree with symptoms, should receive a therapeutic treatment. Although anectdotal, Ive had reliable control of brown spot in my yard using the cornmeal for 3 years, while neighboring yards have ongoing disease. And he should also realize that proponents of a method or product are the ones that should provide controlled studies to demonstrate efficacy. Id say it is definitely worth giving a try. As weve pointed out in other posts on other topics, its up to proponents of practices and products to demonstrate conclusively that they work in a peer-reviewed scientific publication. Please read the articles to get the science-based information, and dont rely on recipes found on non-educational sites. We would love an opportunity like this for our Southside Grounds Maintenance Conference that is held every January here in our community. Interesting thread, still alive after two years! Due to unprecedented rainfall over the past 12 months, we have an incredible problem with rust particularly on Plumeria. Thats not a matter of opinion. Published September 27, 2020. I knew who you were referring to before I even followed the link to the article which is the reason for the laughs. Human activity will most likely move the disease into previously affected stands as time goes on. Too many vested interests preventing it from happening. Im surprised, Bob, that as a researcher you dont know this. There is no way to save an infected oak tree; the only way to deal with oak wilt is prevention. There is a clear denial present in the current culture of science (and I would wager in most other professions as well) that I feel reasonably sure is meant to insure that the various scientific disciplines are protected from being seen as nonviable, or being unable to justify their existence. Photo credit: Bill Cook. Look. However, it is expensive either way. Its my understanding that Texas A&M continued to research the issue but drew no conclusive results. Id watch her boys shes crazy about the mercury! The document says This enhanced, natural biological control process is almost identical to the processes that occur when crop rotation is practiced. Applying yellow corn meal to peanut crops is clearly not the same thing as rotating corn and peanut plantings each year. Overview of oak wilt Oak wilt symptoms Success with therapeutic treatments is better when less infection is present. There is no end to what the public will buy, so long as its correctly packaged and marketed. Trees outside the trenched area should be monitored for several years after the infected area has been treated, and in the event of further infection, the same procedure (trenching and tree removal) should be repeated while the contaminated area is still manageable. The dying leaves of oak wilt infected trees stand out against other green trees at this campground. Thanks for the great suggestion! Prior to treatment, fruit showing signs of blight infection should not be eaten or used for canning. So Johannes, this rants for you! Especially when you mixed up the corn meal study with a study on crop rotation. I see now the first article referenced another article from the Dirt Doctor. The David that left a comment before me sounds like a person that frequently contributes to lawn care discussions online. Id like to know why? Trees can compartmentalize wounds, closing the area off from the rest of the tree and outside. 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