Towards best-practice management of mistletoes in horticulture

Watson, DM; Cook, M; Fadini, RF

Towards best-practice management of mistletoes in horticulture

Watson, DM Cook, M Fadini, RF

Permalink

Publisher:: Canadian Science Publishing
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Botany, 2020, 98, (9), pp. 489-498
Issue Date:: 2020-09

Closed Access

	Filename	Description	Size
	ContentServer (4).pdf	Published version	1.32 MB	Adobe PDF	View/Open

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Closed Access

This item is closed access and not available.

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Watson, DM
dc.contributor.author	Cook, M
dc.contributor.author	Fadini, RF
dc.date.accessioned	2021-06-22T06:51:19Z
dc.date.available	2021-06-22T06:51:19Z
dc.date.issued	2020-09
dc.identifier.citation	Botany, 2020, 98, (9), pp. 489-498
dc.identifier.issn	1916-2790
dc.identifier.issn	1916-2804
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/149716
dc.description.abstract	<jats:p> Mistletoe is increasingly being reported as a horticultural pest, infecting many species grown commercially for fruit, nuts, and other food products. Unlike mistletoe impacts on forestry, the published research on mistletoe in horticulture is scant, with management guidelines reliant on anecdotes, un-replicated trials on unrelated species, and often in different countries and growing systems. We have integrated the existing work to summarize information on the most effective control strategies for mistletoe in horticulture, and call attention to the paucity of empirical research. Despite grower interest in growth regulators and herbicides, limited trials suggest chemical treatment of mistletoe is ineffective, consistent with findings from forestry and ornamental trees. Although labour-intensive, ongoing mechanical removal is the most effective strategy to minimize mistletoe impacts but, without information available on effects of mistletoe infection on yield or tree mortality, cost-effectiveness calculations are not possible. Given the range of herbivores that consume mistletoe tissues, biological control may be useful, both to prevent initial infection and also reduce impacts on infected hosts in commercial plantations. To catalyse more research on mistletoes in horticulture, we articulate six priorities for further work, emphasizing the utility of tree crops as model systems to address questions regarding mistletoe ecology and host-parasite dynamics more broadly. </jats:p>
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Canadian Science Publishing
dc.relation.ispartof	Botany
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1139/cjb-2019-0205
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	0603 Evolutionary Biology, 0607 Plant Biology
dc.subject.classification	Plant Biology & Botany
dc.title	Towards best-practice management of mistletoes in horticulture
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	98
utslib.for	070308 Crop and Pasture Protection (Pests, Diseases and Weeds)
utslib.for	0607 Plant Biology
utslib.for	0603 Evolutionary Biology
utslib.for	0607 Plant Biology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2021-06-22T06:51:16Z
pubs.issue	9
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	98
utslib.citation.issue	9

Abstract:

Mistletoe is increasingly being reported as a horticultural pest, infecting many species grown commercially for fruit, nuts, and other food products. Unlike mistletoe impacts on forestry, the published research on mistletoe in horticulture is scant, with management guidelines reliant on anecdotes, un-replicated trials on unrelated species, and often in different countries and growing systems. We have integrated the existing work to summarize information on the most effective control strategies for mistletoe in horticulture, and call attention to the paucity of empirical research. Despite grower interest in growth regulators and herbicides, limited trials suggest chemical treatment of mistletoe is ineffective, consistent with findings from forestry and ornamental trees. Although labour-intensive, ongoing mechanical removal is the most effective strategy to minimize mistletoe impacts but, without information available on effects of mistletoe infection on yield or tree mortality, cost-effectiveness calculations are not possible. Given the range of herbivores that consume mistletoe tissues, biological control may be useful, both to prevent initial infection and also reduce impacts on infected hosts in commercial plantations. To catalyse more research on mistletoes in horticulture, we articulate six priorities for further work, emphasizing the utility of tree crops as model systems to address questions regarding mistletoe ecology and host-parasite dynamics more broadly.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/149716