Document Type

Research

Abstract

This paper is intended to review critically and briefly the research being conducted on the oak wilt disease caused by the fungus, Endoconidiophora fagacearum Bretz. Although conditions and work in Iowa will be referred to constantly throughout the course of this review, much of the material will be applicable to the other oak wilt areas of this country. Many old time woodsmen maintain the presence in oak stands at the turn of the century of what we now call oak wilt; but the first definite occurrence of this disease is indicated by photographs taken in the McGregor area in 1932 (Dietz and Young 1948). By 1943, oak wilt became a serious threat to the oak areas in northeastern Iowa and in the state parks of Dolliver and Pilot Knob. Since that time, oak wilt has been found to be present throughout the oak range in Iowa. At this writing, nationally, this disease is considered the most serious forest tree disease in the eastern half of the United States. Research was begun on this disease in the early 1940's by workers in Iowa and Wisconsin with the support of their respective conservation commissions. As the disease became known in other areas of the country, more research programs developed. In 1950 the National Oak Wilt Research Committee, a group of men in the hardwood industry, was formed and has financially supported oak wilt research at six research institutions since that date. The federal government as well as other state and local agencies have also actively supported oak wilt research in the oak regions of this country. At this time, eleven states are active in research on this disease.

Publication Date

1964

Journal Title

Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

Issue

First Page

141

Last Page

148

Copyright

Language

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

McNabb, Harold S. Jr. (1964) "The Status of Oak Wilt in lowa," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 61(1), 141-148.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol61/iss1/16

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The Status of Oak Wilt in lowa

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