Observation of External Wounding on Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall) Trees Associated with Tree Injection Systems

Abstract

Field observations of external wounds associated with two common tree injection methods compared open (plug-less) and sealed (plug) systems in green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall) trees. A wound from any cause within 1.37 m above the ground was common with 28.8% of all trees. The open system had statistically fewer (p < 0.001) trees with at least one wound (11.6% of trees) than the sealed system (47.4% of trees). The open system had fewer (p < 0.001) wounds (0.17, 0.04 SE) per tree and a smaller (p < 0.001) total wound area (25.5 cm2, 8.7 SE) per tree, compared to the sealed system wounds (1.14, 0.13 SE) per tree and the total wound area (99.7 cm2, 16.2 SE) per tree. The incidence of a tree with a wound(s) within 1.37 m above the ground was 7.2 times more likely with trees treated though the sealed system. Wounds in the sealed system were observed to appear to have a high rate of improper application of plugs, which was associated in 77% of the cases to explain the wounds. Implications of study results are further provided to best protect ash trees, while at the same time reducing the incidence external wounding on ash trees.