Question
I live on two acres surrounded by soybean fields.  Approximately two weeks after herbicide was sprayed, my two white birches lost all their leaves.  Many of the leaves were green and healthy looking when they fell.  Others were mottled with dark spots.  My flowering crab has completely defoliated.  Young maples (five to seven years) have black around edges and all over leaf plus curling.  Mature bradford pear, sweet gums, and older maples also have the same curling with black around edges-just not to the extent of the younger trees.  Even my dark red maple has curling.  Is it possible that the spraying could have caused damage to ALL the trees?  I just want to make sure this never happens again if it is the herbicide.  We had an extremely wet spring, and some are saying that is the problem.  I just find it odd that every single tree has the same problem.  The spraying was done during extremely hot temperatures--90-95.  Thank you very much.

Answer
I would say it sounds like herbicide damage. Diseases do not effect different species but the herbicide can and will effect different species of plants.  The wet weather would not have caused all the different species of tree to react at the same time. If it was drift from the spraying of the field the damage should be more on the side facing the field and less away from the field toward your land. The method of the application of the herbicide would help--ground sprayed areas seem to have less drift and the herbicide would be lower and effect lower vegetation--aerial applications can have drift and the trees are more effected. There maybe some lower vegetation also damaged. The higher temperatures would have a faster effect on the foliage.

Contact the farmer and ask who the contractor was that applied the spray. I would contact the state agricultural agency and ask for the area that certify herbicide or pesticide applicators. The applicator would need to have pass a test and be certified by the state to apply pesticides. Tell them what is going on they can hold the applicator responsible. Also contact the State Forestry agency in your state and ask one of their Forester to come take a look.