Cellu-Treat

Timber harvesters now have an effective way to control Annosus root disease on freshly cut stumps: Cellu-Treat, a borate-based material, delivers new liquid protection against Fommes root rot. For the first time ever in the United States, a water soluble liquid application is possible.

Heterobasidion annosum (Fommes annosus), or "butt rot", is an all-to-common fungal disease that quickly grows on newly cut stumps throughout the conifer forests of North America. It rots out the valuable butt logs and can even kill trees. This fungus can remain viable in stumps for many years, threatening neighboring healthy trees and creating a potentially disastrous problem in remaining timber and new growth alike.

Cellu-Treat is a soluble borate powder that is diluted to a 5% active solution by mixing only one pound of Cellu-Treat with two gallons of water. A marker dye may also be added as a visual aid. The technology behind Cellu-Treat allows instant dispersion and dissolution, even in cold water. Operators apply the solution immediately to the freshly cut surfaces of stumps using "through the bar" technology in automated harvesters, or within three days of felling the trees by using a simple backpack or hand-held sprayer.

The coverage is both effective and economical, as two gallons of solution covers 400 square feet of stump surface area. Depending on the size of the stumps, that means 500 twelve-inch stumps – or as many as 2,000 six-inch stumps – can be treated with only two gallons of solution to prevent the fungus from spreading, potentially saving hundreds or thousands of healthy trees for future use. After application, the treatment reverts to natural borate micronutrients to promote future tree growth and pest resistance.

Apply Cellu-Treat during both thinnings and clear felling.