A Survey on Temperate Fruit Pests and their Importance in the Highland Areas of North Shewa Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

Temperate fruits (Apple, Pear, Plum, Peach and Almond etc.) are deciduous fruit trees that grow well in temperate climate zones where most commercial varieties fulfill their required chilling temperature. Recently though, because of the low average temperatures, these crops are found to be grown well in the highlands of Ethiopia. Amongst the areas that have greater significance in this aspect is North Shewa zone, Amhara region of Ethiopia. Accordingly, aiming to get acquainted with the distribution, incidence, and severity of temperate fruit diseases and insect pests, a systematic survey was carried out in seven districts of North Shewa (Menz Gera, Menz mama, Basonaworana, Angolela Tara, Tarmaber, Ankober and Hagere Mariam) for two consecutive seasons. As revealed by the assessment, temperate fruit trees are subjected to numerous pests. Apple trees were found to be infested with apple scab, powdery mildew, canker, apple aphid, woolly aphid, beetles, spider mite and sting bug, whereas, leaf rust was the main disease of plum and peach. In most locations, apple scab, powdery mildew leaf rust, apple aphid and beetles were very much recurring and most destructive, therefore considered as economically important pests of temperate fruits in the area. Moreover, except for few conspicuous inconsistencies, the seasonal and altitudinal variation in distribution and severity of these diseases and insect pests were comparable.