According to Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA), Thousands Cankers Disease (TCD) of walnut has been confirmed in Butler County, Ohio.
The disease is caused by a fungus that is carried from tree to tree by the Walnut Twig Beetle, which is a type of bark beetle.
“Walnut Twig Beetle was first confirmed in Ohio in late 2012 in traps set by Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry officials in Butler County,” the ODA said in the news release.
“Additionally, scientists from the Ohio Plant Diagnostic Network, a cooperative partnership between ODA and The Ohio State University (OSU), recently isolated the TCD fungus from walnut branch samples from the Butler County area, marking the first time TCD has been confirmed in Ohio.”
Joe Boggs, an Assistant Professor in the OSU Department of Entomology, advises to “keep a sharp eye out for the signs and symptoms of TCD on walnut,” which include “chlorotic and wilted leaves, twig and branch dieback, thinning canopy and epicormic growth.”
Boggs said the Department of Entomology will include a report on TCD in this week’s edition of their periodical, Buckeye Yard and Garden Line (BYGL), which will be available here.