Chestnut trees in Minsk are massively falling ill. What are the reasons and can anything be done about it?
Minsk residents are outraged: despite it being mid-June, the chestnut trees in the city have started to dry out. Due to marginal necrosis, leaves are turning yellow almost as soon as they unfurl, and some individual trees have been attacked by the horse-chestnut leaf miner moth. What danger this poses to the trees, why it occurs, and whether the situation can be changed, was explained to "Minskaya Pravda" by Alexander Pugachevsky, Head of the Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Dendrochronology at the Kuprevich Institute of Experimental Botany of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.
Two enemies: moth and marginal necrosis
"Previously, such a state of chestnut trees was not the norm, but now it has become a common phenomenon. The question arises: what does 'previously' mean? If we talk about the horse-chestnut leaf miner moth, this pest appeared in our country about ten years ago. Unfortunately, there are no simple and effective methods to combat it, so its spread has become practically inevitable," the specialist said.
As for marginal necrosis, which first manifests as browning and then blackening of leaves at the edges, its cause is not diseases, but unfavorable factors of the urban environment. As a rule, this is associated with:
- soil salinization by de-icing agents (sodium chloride);
- exhaust gases from cars;
- excessive insolation (solar radiation);
- lack of moisture for trees growing in planting pits surrounded by asphalt;
- the age of the trees themselves.
"Today, many chestnut trees have reached a considerable age. In general, the chestnut as a species for urban landscaping in Belarus is gradually becoming a thing of the past. Its potential in urban conditions is largely exhausted, so specialists do not recommend actively using this tree in new plantings. Instead, they suggest planting more resilient tree species and applying modern agro-technologies, especially in roadside areas," Alexander Pugachevsky noted.
What makes sick trees dangerous
According to the specialist, the horse-chestnut leaf miner moth and marginal necrosis are primarily dangerous because trees lose their decorative appeal. In addition, their protective functions weaken: chestnut trees cope worse with their role as sound-absorbing and gas-dust-protecting plantings.
Gradually, under the influence of these factors, trees weaken year after year and eventually die. This process does not happen instantly, but many drying chestnut trees are already being removed because they can no longer perform their functions.
Treatment is more expensive than new planting
Theoretically, it is possible to save the trees. This involves injections of special preparations into the trunk, enhanced nutrition, watering, and other care measures. However, such methods require significant costs and do not always guarantee a result.
Furthermore, at present, there are no approved preparations for widespread trunk injections. Their cost reaches tens of dollars per tree (and more than one injection is required), so in practice, it often turns out to be simpler to plant a new tree. Nevertheless, young trees also require regular care until they take root and strengthen.
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