Karsky, Dick ; Cram, Michelle ; Thistle, Harold W.. 1998. New methods of application of borax to tree stumps for control of Heterobasidion annosum. 9834 2834. Missoula, MT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Technology and Development Program.
Discusses an applicator attachment for feller-bunchers that applies borax to tree stumps. Thinning a stand of trees opens that stand to colonization by Heterobasidion annosum through freshly cut stump surfaces. A mortality rate of 5 to 10% is typical in areas where Heterobasidion annosum root rot is a major problem. Stump treatment to prevent annosum from infecting stumps is the primary method of control recommended. An applicator attachment has been developed that mounts on the back of a feller-buncher saw head. The attachment applies a borax powder to a stump immediately after the tree has been cut. The attachment uses compressed air to blow powder from a metering mechanism through a tube and nozzle to the top of a freshly cut stump. The treatment adds some time and cost to thinning an area but it has the potential to reduce the mortality of the remaining trees. Thinning cost increased 19% in the study performed at the Savannah River site near Aitken, SC.
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