Sulfuryl fluoride fumigation of red oak logs eradicates the oak wilt fungus

This work was supported by a grant from the DowElanco Corp. as well as University of Minnesota Agr. Exp. Sta. project 4369. Essential help by James Bean in the fumigation trials as well as statistical evaluations by Peter Scherer (DowElanco) are gratefully acknowledged. Help from consulting foresters Steve Cook and Steve Nelson for tree procurement as well as Kory Cease, Paul Castillo and Tamara Pickens (USDA Forest Service) for technical assistance is also appreciated. Preliminary field trials using red oak logs from trees dying from oak wilt disease were successful in eliminating the oak wilt fungus from sapwood after fumigation with sulfuryl fluoride for 72 h under tarp. These results support earlier laboratory data on the fungitoxicity of sulfuryl fluoride as a potential replacement for methyl bromide treatment of exported red oak veneer logs. However, not all other microorganisms were completely eradicated from oak sapwood at the treatment levels used in this trial.