Abstract
Fire blight causes enormous losses in pome fruit production worldwide. Due to the lack of resistance against its causative agent Erwinia amylovora, fruit growers appear defenseless against this bacteriosis. Since the usage of antibiotics in food production is undesirable and there is no approved substance with the same efficiency as streptomycin available, phytosanitary measures were tested for effectiveness against fire blight in apple orchards in Switzerland. Pathogen abundance was monitored by taking samples from different tissue followed by real-time PCR-based quantification throughout the years 2008 to 2011. Examinations were conducted in orchards which applied or did not apply phytosanitary control measures. Conclusions from these examinations could be used to modify recommendations for good cultural practices and, as consequence, to help reducing the pathogen load in the orchards without using antibiotics or other control agents.
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