Sapstreak disease is a potentially serious problem of sugarbushes and forest stands. It occurs when the causal fungus, Ceratocystis virescens, invades the sapwood of roots and bases of stems through wounds inflicted during logging, saphauling, or other activities. This bulletin describes how to recognize the disease, the factors that affect its occurrence and development, and management approaches to help reduce its effects.

The purpose of our studies with sugar maple was to develop a method by which superior sugar producers could be vegetatively propagated and grown for use in studies designed to improve sugar yields. Because high sugar producers will ordinarily be selected from trees of tapping size, our studies were conducted on relatively large roadside sugar maples (fig. 1). Branches on a couple of young sugar maples less than 2 inches d.b.h. were also treated.