Fruitful Land

Apple Scab (Venturia ineaequalis) is the most common fungal disease in apples, It infects the fruit, leaves, petioles, blossoms, and fruit, but the most commom and damaging areas are the leaves and fruit. In order to control Apple scab you must understand the live cycle and conditions that favor infections. You do not need to become an expert, but a little time spent learning the facts can save your crops year after year.

. Bitter Pit is a physiological disorder, it is not caused by a fungus or a bacteria, it is caused by a lack of calcium in the fruit. It usually appears as a storage defect, but it may also appear on the fruit during the harvest.

Bitter bit shows as small green to purplish to light brown (yes there really is this variability on the color) lesions on the surface of the mature fruit. These lesions are sunken and dry, but they do not extend deep into the fruit. Bitter pit can appear on the fruit at harvest time, but it usually develops during storage. The longer the time in storage, the more the disorder develops.

Fireblight  (Erwinia amylovora) is a potentially serious bacterial disease that kills the living tissue in the bark. It invades the Apple tree through blossoms or through the tender new growth of shoots. The potential for Fireblight infection is determined to a large extent by the weather conditions, the variety, and the vigor of the tree.

Fireblight infections  initiate through the flower pistil, young actively growing shoots, or cuts in leaves and tender bark usually torn open by a hail storm.

Sooty Blotch (Gloeodes pomigena) and Fly Speck (Schizothyrium pomi) are a group of similar fungi that cause discoloration on Apples during late summer. The disease severity is associated with wetter summers and/or several cool foggy mornings. The disease only effects the color of the Apple skin and can be removed by washing with a mild bleach solution. The internal quality of the fruit is not affected. These diseases can appear in early summer, but sprays to control Apple Scab usually also control Sooty Blotch and Fly Speck.