Apple moniliosis: causes and symptoms, how to fight and remedies

You can lose 80% of the crop from moniliosis on an apple tree. Fungal infection affects not only the fruits of pome crops, all stone fruits suffer from fruit rot: cherries, peaches, plums, apricots. Timely processing of tree crowns, a set of preventive measures prevent the spread of infection in the garden.

Who is the causative agent of the disease

The ubiquitous fungus causes disease. The causative agent monilinia fructigena is ubiquitous. Apple trees growing in temperate and warm climates equally suffer from it. The fungus monilinia fructigena damages apples, pears and stone fruits.The causative agent monilinia mali is highly specialized. It infects only one type of plant, only apple and pear trees suffer from it. This type of infection is common in the southern regions and gardens of the Far East. The life cycle of the fungus monilinia fructigena consists of 2 stages, in monilinia mali - of 3.

Forms of moniliosis

The disease can proceed in different ways. Its symptoms and course depend on the type of fungus that affected the fruit tree. There are two forms of moniliosis:

• fruit rot;
• monilial burn.

Fruit rot

A tree infected with the fungus monilinia fructigena can be recognized by the symptoms of fruit rot, which appear on young apples:

• at the initial stage, these are small spots of brown color;
• the entire surface gradually turns brown;
• the pulp has no taste, its structure becomes spongy;
• small gray-yellow pads form on the surface of the apples, they create a pattern in the form of circles.

Fungus-infected apples mummify, blacken, harden if the weather is cold and dry. In humid, warm summers, most apples are affected by fruit rot in the filling phase and at the ripening stage. Part of the crop dies during storage and transportation.

Monilial burn

The first signs of a monilial burn may appear in the spring. In May, on apple trees, you can see leaves that stand out with the red color of the leaf plate in the central vein.

Infection strikes:

• leaves;
• petioles;
• inflorescences;
• ovaries.

When examining the underside of diseased leaves, small white conidial pads can be seen. Infection (monilinia mali) causes the fruitful shoot (leaves, ovary) to dry out. Mature fetuses do not have a monilial burn.

Stages

The life cycles of the fungus fall on the fruiting period of the apple tree. The fungus monilinia fructigena, which causes fruit rot, is characterized by 2 stages: conidial, sclerocial. The causative agent monilinia mali may still have a rare third stage - marsupial.

Conidial

At this stage, a mycelium in the form of a large number of chains is formed from unicellular colorless conidia. Conidia spread through raindrops, gusts of wind, insects.

Fruits, the surface of which has mechanical damage, suffer from infection. They are formed as a result of bad weather or due to insect pests. A greater percentage of apples suffer from fruit rot if the weather is warm, rainy in summer.

Sclerocial

This stage occurs when the apple tree is at rest. The fungus in the form of mycelium overwinters in unharvested and fallen apples or in cracks in the bark.

Optimal development conditions

The degree of infection of the apple tree depends on the intensity of sporulation. It is determined by weather conditions. The optimal values of humidity, air temperature, which increase the activity of the fungus, are shown in the table. Value

Humidity

	90%
Temperature	13 to 15 °C>

How infection occurs

Spores lead to disease, they penetrate into apples and tree tissues through micro- and macro-cracks. The main causes leading to moniliosis of apple trees:

• life activity of insect pests;
• the presence of infected apples, their contact with he althy fruits;
• other apple diseases;
• the variety has low resistance to fungi monilinia mali, monilinia fructigena;
• poor care of fruit trees, lack of preventive measures.

The infection is spread by wind, rain, insects, dirty garden tools.Contribute to the appearance of the disease a long winter with frosts, snowfalls and a long spring, not pleasing with warm, sunny days. The fungus enters the warehouse along with dirty storage containers.

Description of disease

The disease initially affects the trunks of fruit trees. The spores of the fungus fall on the fruits, so apples are affected by moniliosis before and after harvest. The infection is not afraid of frost, its active spread occurs during flowering and fruit set.

Symptoms and first signs of infection

It is possible to determine that a tree is sick 5 days after infection. Symptoms speak about moniliosis:

• brown spots on apples;
• carrion;
• fluffy small pads on fruits;
• twisted, dark leaves;
• brown flowers.

What is the danger of fruit rot for an apple tree

Initially, the fungus ruins the crop. In the absence of therapeutic and preventive measures, the tree dies over time. His weakened immune system is unable to cope with pathogens and pests.

Ways to protect the apple tree from moniliosis

In the summer, they carry out disease prevention activities. Fungicides are treated in spring, autumn and when symptoms of the disease appear.The spread of the fungus is prevented by the timely removal of infected apples, the introduction of root and foliar dressings, and the cleanliness of the tree trunk.

How to treat if an infection has occurred

Based on the timing of fruit ripening, the degree of infection of the tree, gardeners determine how best to fight the infection.

Mechanical destruction of affected plants

In autumn, the remaining fruits are removed from the trees. They are disposed of outside the garden plot. Spores do not die if apples are buried in the ground.

Infected fruits are the main source of infection, they are pecked by birds, eaten by pests (codling moth, weevil), spores spread around the garden.

All dry shoots are cut and burned. When removing a diseased branch, up to 10 cm of he althy tree tissue is grabbed. Stamps of apple trees are covered with a layer of lime. For greater effect, a fungicide solution is added to it.In summer, trees are examined, shoots affected by the fungus, ovaries, fruits are cut out and destroyed.

Chemicals

Chemicals tested by more than one generation of gardeners, Bordeaux liquid and copper sulfate are relevant in the fight against moniliosis of apple trees. Before the leaves bloom, use a solution of 3%, in autumn and summer - 1%. Prevention of the disease is pest control, it is carried out with the help of insecticides: "Aktara", "Profi", "Decis".

Biologicals

Treatment of apple trees with biological products gives good results. "Pentaphage C" is used if there is little time left before harvesting. This tool is safe for humans, so trees and fruits can be sprayed with a solution a few days before picking apples.

Harmless to humans and effective against fungus:

• Fitolavin;
• "Alirin";
• Fitosporin M.

Using fungicides

Fungicides contain active substances that kill the fungus and inhibit its reproductive abilities. When treating apple trees for moniliosis, they resort to help:

• "Soon";
• "Horusa";
• Abiga Peak.

Solutions of these preparations are sprayed on all parts of a diseased tree, the soil of the near-trunk circle is cultivated. Fungicides are used throughout the season. Processing is carried out 1 time in 2 weeks.

Folk ways of fighting

There are no folk recipes that destroy the fungus. There are proven ways to control apple pests (codling moth, weevil), they can be used to prevent fungal diseases.

Scheme and terms of processing

The table shows proven treatment regimens against moniliosis.

Processing is carried out once every 2 weeksStrobeOn a bucket of water 2 g of fundsTrees are processed 1 time in 2 weeks, the last time 30 days before harvesting

Drug	Expense	Use time
"Hom"	40 g per bucket of water, for 1 apple tree 5 l of solution	1 time in bud break, 2 times after flowering
Horus	Per bucket water 2 g of the product	Prophylactic treatments are carried out the whole season (1 time in 2 weeks), for the purpose of treatment at least 2 times, flowering trees are not treated, from the day of the last spraying to the collection of apple trees should not pass less than 2 weeks
Bordeaux mixture	Consumption of 1% solution - per 1 m² 200 ml

How long does it take to get rid of fruit rot

One, two treatments of an apple tree do not get rid of fruit rot. Mushroom spores spread throughout the season. Symptoms of the disease can appear at any time. Therapeutic spraying should be carried out when signs of illness appear, preventive measures should be taken regularly.

Resistant apple varieties

There are no varieties with 100% resistance to fungi monilinia fructigena, monilinia mali. Apple trees of summer ripening periods suffer more from them.

Relatively stable varieties are considered:

• Parmen winter gold;
• Jubilee;
• Pepin saffron;
• Welsey;
• Slavyanka.

By choosing them, gardeners protect the garden from fruit rot.

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