Knowra Fire blight Fire blight Fire blight is a contagious bacterial disease of apple, pear, and related plants, caused by Erwinia amylovora. It blackens blossoms and shoots and can kill branches or entire trees.
Erwinia amylovora : A Gram-negative bacterium that causes fire blight in apples, pears, and related plants. This pathogen enters susceptible tissues and produces the disease’s characteristic lesions.
Integrated pest management : A strategy combining monitoring, prevention, and targeted controls to manage pests and plant diseases. Fire blight management combines cultural practices, forecasting, and carefully chosen treatments.
Blossom blight : A disease symptom in which infected flowers turn brown or black and wither. It is often the first visible sign of fire blight in an orchard.
Apple scab : A fungal disease of apples and crabapples caused by Venturia inaequalis. It also damages orchards, but typically produces leaf and fruit spots rather than bacterial shoot blight.
Blossom infection : Infection of flowers by a pathogen, often through the stigma and floral tissues. Fire blight commonly begins when bacteria colonize open blossoms.
Sanitation pruning : The removal of diseased or damaged plant parts to reduce infection sources and improve plant health. Removing infected shoots and cankers can reduce sources of fire blight spread.
Shoot blight : The death and discoloration of young plant shoots following infection. Infected shoots can bend into the distinctive shape called a shepherd’s crook.
Pear decline : A disease of pear trees associated with phytoplasmas and pear psylla, causing gradual decline and death. Its progressive decline contrasts with fire blight’s often rapid blackening of blossoms and shoots.
Bacterial ooze : A viscous liquid containing bacteria and plant fluids that emerges from infected plant tissue. Erwinia amylovora can produce ooze that aids dispersal to new infection sites.
Copper-based pesticides : Plant-protection products that use copper compounds to suppress certain bacterial and fungal diseases. Copper products can suppress fire blight bacteria on plant surfaces, especially around bloom.
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