Apple Diseases Update

Fire blight has been observed in most of the apple and pear orchard throughout of Illinois. Spray application of antibiotic, copper, or any other chemical is not effective on controlling fire blight after petal fall. However, application of Streptomycin immediately after hail damage is necessary to prevent new infection. For further information on fire blight of apple, refer to it here.

Scab has been observed (in low incidence) in several apple orchards. It appears that there won't be a serious effect of scab on apple yield. But heavy infection of scab has been noticed on crab apples throughout of the state. For a detailed information on apple scab, refer to it here.

Summer diseases of apples (sooty blotch and flyspeck, bitter rot, black rot, and white rot) commonly occur in Illinois. For control of summer diseases of apple, consult the "2003 Commercial Tree Fruit Spray Guide."

For further information on fire blight, scab, summer diseases, and other disease of apple, refer to it here.

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