Development of a 15-day Interval Spraying Program for Controlling Major Apple Diseases

Abstract

A fungicidal spray program for effective control of three major apple diseases in Korea (white rot, bitter rot, and Marssonina blotch) was developed. This was based on our previous studies showing that application of ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitors (EBIs) in early or mid-August can eradicate white rot infection in fruit and that some protective fungicides show after-infection activity against white rot. The basic spray program focused on control of white rot, the main target disease, and the fungicides were sprayed at 15-day intervals from petal fall to late August using fungicides that show after-infection and EBI activity. The basic spray program was modified over 4 successive years to improve control efficacy against bitter rot and Marssonina blotch, which sometimes cause as much damage as white rot. Modifications to the regime were made every year by replacing one fungicide in the basic program at a specific spraying time. Substitution of only one fungicide in the spray program, even early in the growing season, greatly influenced the final disease incidence at harvest. Applying this principle, a moderately efficient spray program for cv. Fuji that increased the spray interval from 10 to 15 days and thus reduced the number of sprays required per crop season was developed.