KY FY18 P.ramorum survey FG Goal 1S.0061

The nursery industry has a large economic impact in the state of Kentucky. A report from the Kentucky Horticulture Council states that in 2012, cash receipts for wholesale and retail sales for nursery, greenhouse, and sod products totaled between $50 and $70 million. In 2017, Kentucky had 480 licensed nurseries in the state and 1,074 licensed nursery dealers (data from Office of the State Entomologist); thus, it is an important industry and source of revenue. Nursery inspectors employed by the Office of the State Entomologist at the University of Kentucky inspect each nursery yearly to look for insects and diseases of regulatory concern. This survey will augment these yearly inspections by allowing for an extensive, targeted survey for Phytophthora ramorum which is of concern since many nurseries in Kentucky import nursery stock from the West Coast. Detections in nurseries that ship widely throughout the United States have increased concerns that this disease could appear in other U.S. nurseries and hence move to susceptible species in the surrounding environment. A search in the NAPIS database shows that this disease has been found in several eastern states, many of which are close to Kentucky. These states include Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, Indiana, North and South Carolina, Maine, Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and New Jersey. These finds demonstrate that the disease is being shipped inadvertently by nurseries on the west coast and pose a threat to the nursery industries in eastern states. Kentucky has been identified as a high risk area for Sudden Oak Death (SOD), Phytophthora ramorum, because of the extensive oak forests within the state. Kentucky’s forests cover approximately 48% of the state with oak-hickory being the predominant forest type, making up 75% of the state’s forests (Kentucky Woodlands Magazine). This disease could also have a severe effect on an economy that depends on the revenue generated from the sale of logs and wood products. 97% of the 12.4 million forested acres in Kentucky are considered available for timber production (Kentucky Woodlands Magazine). Discovery of this disease could greatly reduce the amount of oak lumber that could be exported overseas from Kentucky and, thus, have devastating economic consequences.