Integrated orchard and nursery management for the control of fire blight.

Abstract

Abstract This chapter discusses the design of an aggressive fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) management programme that uses conventional tactics, but with improved timing and some slight modifications. In principle, this approach focuses on reducing the number and distribution of inoculum sources on a continuing basis throughout the season, every year, regardless of the amount of disease present. Constraints to effective fire blight management, integrated disease management, significance of multiple infection types (blossom blight, canker blight, shoot blight, trauma blight and rootstock blight), aggressive fire blight management programme for orchards (by dormant pruning, early season copper spraying, protective blossom spraying, biological control and cutting out active infections), and fire blight management for nurseries (monitoring and eradicating infected trees, disease prevention), are discussed.