Sirex Woodwasp in Australia: Current Management Strategies, Research and Emerging Issues

It has been almost 60 years since Sirex noctilio (Sirex) was first detected in Australia, and it has now spread to all pine-growing states except Western Australia. Major outbreaks occurred soon after detection in both Tasmania and Victoria. However, in the Green Triangle region of western Victoria/south-eastern South Australia, only low numbers of Sirex were initially found. This led to reduced surveillance, which ultimately resulted in the largest recorded outbreak of Sirex in Australia, killing over five million trees between 1986 and 1989. Based on this outbreak, it was predicted that Sirex damage could result in losses of up to AU$60 million per annum in the absence of control. This prediction resulted in the development of the National Strategy for Control of Sirex noctilio in Australia. There have been only a few, localised outbreaks of Sirex since, although several potential problems with the Sirex control strategy have recently been identified. In this Chapter we provide a synopsis of the Sirex Control Strategy in light of new developments and procedures that compliment the original strategy. We also describe current research activities and emerging issues, including reduced parasitism of nematode-inoculated trap trees; problems associated with Ips grandicollis attacking Sirex trap tree plots; determining whether temperature is limiting the northern spread of S. noctilio and Amylostereum areolatum, and its effect on the nematode, Deladenus siricidicola; and variation in nematode infectivity across south-eastern Australia.

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