Sunday, June 22, 2008 Surgery performed on ailing agoho
PRACTICUM surgeons from the Baguio City Government have successfully performed a surgery and saved an old patient using, of all things, a power chainsaw, wooden mallet and assorted carpentry tools.
Armed with such hardware, the newly trained "green" surgeons of the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) successfully removed the parasite and bacteria, which has infected the trunk of an old agoho tree at Rizal Park.
With the application of tree surgery method, the "green" surgeons hollowed out the parasitic plant and the bacteria-causing decay inside the core trunk of the agoho tree and treated it with disinfectant, coal tar and varnish. Part of the trunk which was eaten-up by the tree bacteria and parasite was replaced with reinforced concrete to prevent the possible entry of pests and diseases.
A diagnostic procedure conducted by Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) revealed that the agoho tree is infected with Xyleborus destruens, a beetle, which commonly attacks the main trunk of a tree creating shot holes and strings of compacted sawdust. The beetle is likewise associated with bacteria, which causes wood decay adding more substantial damage to the tree.
The diagnostic results also disclosed a parasitic plant called balete has invaded the base of the agoho tree. The balete competes with the tree in absorbing water and other nutrients resulting in the wilting of the tree.
Marcelina Pacho, a pathologist from Ecosystem Research Development Bureau (ERDB), said the agoho tree was in a critical stage considering 65 percent of the diameter of the tree trunk has decayed and if left uncorrected, the damage could have resulted in its death.
The ERDB pathologist suspected that the agoho tree acquired the infection during the improvement of Rizal Park where there are indicators of root development disturbances, and the presence of the balete plant, which is not commonly found at Rizal Park.
Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr., on the other hand, urged the newly trained "green" surgeons to practice the technology introduced by the DENR to save infected trees in the city.
He said with the learned technology, the city can save trees which are subject or planned to be cut as he observed some reasons for cutting request is because of pest and diseases. (DK)
