Practical Application of Ethanedinitrile to control infested pine wilt disease and its vector

In Korea, pine wilt disease (PWD) causes serious damages in pine forest system (Kwon et al. 2005). Currently fumigation is one of the registered practical methods to prevent spreading of the disease in Korea. Fumigation with metam sodium (MS), a methyl bromide (MeBr) alternative, controls the internal stages of vector, pine sawyer,, Monochamus alternatus and the pine wilt nematode, Bursapelenchus xylophilus. However, MS fumigation process has occupational health and safety issues with fumigation tent which is covered after spraying of liquid fumigant to felled trees. Another issue is the high label dose of MS (1L/m3) may damage soil and water environment. The new alternatives chemical, ethanedinitrile, is a timber fumigant patented by CSIRO in 1995 and is an efficacious chemical with minimal environmental problems. This field study showed the potential of ethanedinitrile to control pine sawyer and pine nematode in infested PWD pine trees in practical condition in Korea.