Multi-disciplinary research team hosts workshop as part of effort to mitigate growing economic threat to pine forests

The College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, in collaboration with the Forest Health Dynamics Laboratory and the Forest Health Cooperative, hosted a multi-agency workshop in August to address a pine disease threatening Alabama forests.

The workshop’s primary focus was to exchange up-to-date evaluations of brown spot needle blight as part of a $2.1 million U.S. Forest Service grant received by a CFWE research team working to find solutions to the increasing threat to southeastern pine forests.

Attendees of the multi-agency Brown Spot Needle Blight Workshop are photographed with Lori Eckhardt, shown center.

Brown spot needle blight is a native disease known for causing needle shed and stunted growth in many pine species. It has emerged as a significant issue in loblolly pine plantations in Alabama and elsewhere across the Southeast.

Lori Eckhardt, a CFWE professor and director of the Forest Health Cooperative, facilitated discussion among the distinguished experts who shared insights on potential disease management strategies, which varied relative to their respective states.

The workshop featured engaging presentations from esteemed faculty, graduate students and forestry professionals. Topics covered during these sessions encompassed identification, mitigation techniques, genetic diversity, environmental influences and other relevant aspects related to brown spot needle blight.

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