Race is on to unravel mystery of tree disease

Sacramento Bee ^ | October 27, 2002 | Edie Lau

[farmfriend]

Sudden Oak Death is little understood, but clearly it is potentially devastating.

They live inscrutable lives and go by impossible names. For a long time, only scientists devoted to plant diseases knew and cared about creatures called Phytophthoras.

Then came Sudden Oak Death.

[farmfriend]

ping

[pacpam]

I controlled Oak Root Rot in a fruitless mulberry around 1992 or so. I combined DMSO, about 2 tsp in a pint of clorox and sprayed the cankers. DMSO acted as a facilitator and took the clorox into the vascular system and killed the organism and unclogged the system so the moisture could get to the leaves once again. The tree recovered and is nice and healthy to this day. I sprayed the areas where the cambium had separated about three times over a month and sprayed any new areas that appeared later. I can get no one to listen to my out of the box treatment and it is frustrating. Seems the same facilitator - DMSO could be used with whatever chemical is determined to kill the pathogen.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Isn't DMSO only available by prescription anymore?

[steelie]

DMSO is related to #2 brake fluid. Always be carefull when handling brake fluid!!

A mechanic

[norraad]

More & more in every over edgemacated avenue of academia they're

"trying to figure out what the heck is going on"

While the rest of us with common sense & an 8th grade education are solving the problems.

[Carry_Okie]

Sorry to break it to you, but even if there was a universal cure, the problem is one of sheer scale. No one could manufacture and apply the millions of gallons of magicstuff necessary to do the job and the spores would still be in the soils.

[pacpam]

DMSO is a byproduct of pulp/paper milling and is about a $1 a gallon to produce. It is available, but because meth idiots started using it, you have to sign for it, just like syringes.

[Carry_Okie]

The Rangers said officials feel it was introduced on hikers boots and by the presence of the evil lumber industry.

As if birds don't get muddy feet.

[Consort]

It's arboreal suicide, as any psychodendrologist would agree.

[farmfriend]

Ok, I'll bite. What is a psychodendrologist? Remember, I went to California public schools.

[Carry_Okie]

Lol, you bit all righty!

[farmfriend]

So what, this is someone who studies psycho-rhododendrons? I have enough trouble when people use real words. Especially tonight. The old brain just does not want to work. LOL. : ^)

[Consort]

It's a branch of Deciduology dealing with sylvan mental arborations, as opposed to treeáge, which concerns immediate physical treatment. The Druids were heavily into this.

[farmfriend]

You're good. I'm chuckling now. I love word games, just a little slow on the uptake tonight.

[farmfriend]

Conversion Comics

1 kilogram of falling figs:
1 Fig Newton

1 millionth of a fish:
1 microfiche

[B4Ranch]

It's probably caused by illegal aliens. They are a disease in America.

[RipSawyer]

Sounds like the only flaw to your treatment is noone can make any money selling it. If it was patentable you would probably get all kinds of attention.

[Free State Four]

Well, I've heard Owl Gore is praying for a cure. I guess he has a vested interest. fsf