What is Dieback?
Phytophthora dieback refers to the deadly introduced plant disease caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi (pronounced Fy-tof-thora – meaning plant destroyer in Greek). There are over 50 species of Phytophthora, but the species that causes the most severe and widespread damage to native plants in Western Australia is P. cinnamomi. In the past, Phytophthora dieback has been known as ‘dieback’ and ‘jarrah dieback’. Unfortunately, these names have contributed to confusion about the pathogen. For example, in other parts of Australia, the term ‘dieback’ is used to describe tree decline caused by such factors as salinity, drought or insect damage. Furthermore, the disease affects a huge number of introduced and native plant species other than jarrah. Therefore, to overcome this confusion, the term ‘Phytophthora dieback’ is now used. Phytophthora dieback spends its entire life in the soil and in plant tissue. It causes root rot in susceptible plants, thereby limiting or stopping the uptake of water
Dieback is a condition that afflicts trees and plants, where there are massive die offs of members of the species in a region. The term may be used to describe a number of specific conditions that lead to their death, most notably the Phytophthora dieback that plagues regions around the world, particularly Australia. Dieback may also refer to Eutypa dieback, which plagues grapes throughout the world. The term may also be used more generally to refer to massive die offs caused by things like acid rain or pollution. Phythophthora dieback is caused by a genus of protists in the water mold group. Each particular pathogen goes after a different species of plant, and they are responsible for some of the greatest blights in the world. Phythophthora dieback has caused massive famines, eradicated huge swaths of forest, and altered the natural landscape in some areas irreversibly. The name phythophthora means literally “the plant destroyer,” and it is the most feared group of pathogens among arb
