Rust on pine: causes and methods of treating wood, prevention

The appearance of symptoms of rust on pine is associated with infection by fungal microorganisms. The infected tree gradually dries up. At the same time, it infects other pines, fruit and ornamental crops located in the garden. The full development cycle of dangerous fungi takes 2-3 years. During this period, the garden can suffer greatly. That is why it is so important to pay attention to the treatment and prevention of rust.

Reason for appearance

Different types of fungi are considered the cause of the development of pathology. Common pathogens include:

1. The genus Cronartium ribicola - provokes the appearance of blister rust.Weymouth pine and the Siberian cedar variety are more susceptible to this disease. Sometimes European and mountain species of pines suffer from it. At an intermediate stage, the fungus infects gooseberries and currants. With the advent of autumn, he moves to the pine. In this case, the needles first suffer, and then the branches and trunk are affected. The more the infection spreads, the higher the risk of tree death.
2. Genus Coleosporium - causes needle rust. At intermediate stages, fungi settle on weeds - sow thistle, bluebell, coltsfoot. The pathogen causes damage to the needles in the spring. By July, the spores are shed and the pine tree remains dry and mottled.
3. The genus Melampsora pinitorqua causes rust on branches. This disease is also called pine spinner. Under the influence of pathogens, the shoots take on an S-shape. The infection affects pine in late autumn. Intermediate hosts of pathogens include poplars and aspens. Affected pine trees rarely die, but they can turn into bushy plants.

The listed pathogens differ in the presence of intermediate hosts. Therefore, planting pine near them increases the likelihood of infection.

In addition, the risk of infection increases in these situations:

1. The presence of weeds. Unwanted vegetation must be removed. It spreads rust and other diseases and attracts vermin.
2. Purchasing infected plants. Pine infection can occur even in the nursery. To avoid such problems, it is important to carefully inspect the crop before buying and pay attention to its processing after planting.
3. Spray neglect. To avoid the development of diseases, it is necessary to engage in their prevention. For this, it is worth using fungicidal preparations.

How to identify infection

Despite the fact that rust has different types, they all have a common feature.You can identify the disease by orange spots on the needles and growths on pine branches. Blister rust affects branches and trunks to a greater extent. Needle rust mainly spreads along needles, and pine spinner causes deformation of shoots.

The development of pathology leads to the fact that the trees lose their attractiveness and become weak. In addition, the affected areas dry and die. At the same time, the main sign of rust is the formation of red, convex growths that affect branches and needles.

Danger for the tree

There are several types of rust, each of which poses a certain threat to plants:

1. Needle rust - infected needles dry out and turn yellow. They cease to perform their functions and, as a result, fall off. In the absence of needles on a pine branch, it does not give new shoots and dies off.Thus, rust can lead to the loss of entire branches. In advanced cases, there is a risk of death of the entire tree.
2. Pine spinner - diseased shoots begin to dry out from above. In this case, the lower branches remain alive, but take the shape of the letter S. The deformation of the pine tree makes the tree untidy. It becomes weaker and can hardly withstand the load. Pine spinner rarely provokes the death of a tree, but does it serious harm.
3. Blister Rust. This disease is considered the most dangerous. At first, it causes damage to the needles, and then goes to the shoots and trunk. As a result, the fungus spreads throughout the tree and lives on it for many years. At the same time, stepped ulcers form in the affected areas - the trunk becomes covered with cracks, resin flows from it. The bark becomes covered with clots and wounds, and with the advent of spring, red growths with fungal spores appear on the tree. Above the affected area, the tree is completely destroyed. In this case, the branches must be cut.When the fungus enters the lower part of the trunk, the tree dies.

How to fight her

If even small traces of rust are detected on the plantings, measures should be taken immediately and treatment should begin. Otherwise, there is a high probability of negative consequences. To cope with the pathology, you need to do the following:

1. Completely remove affected areas.
2. Isolate primary and intermediate hosts from each other.
3. Plant disease-resistant plants between plants.
4. Plow the soil to kill spores.
5. Apply potash and phosphate fertilizers and trace elements.
6. Control the application of nitrogen supplements.
7. Use chemicals as directed.

At the first sign of rust development, you need to use special tools that have already proven their effectiveness. These drugs include the following:

1. Bordeaux liquid - the substance is used 2-3 times with an interval of 10 days. In this case, it is required to use a solution with a concentration of 0.5-1%.
2. " Rogor" - used at least three times.

When choosing a specific treatment, it is important to consider that fungi have developed resistance to many drugs. In particular, such popular remedies as Topaz and Skor are not used today for rust treatment.

To get the desired result, it is recommended to use a new generation of fungicides. At the same time, several modern antifungal agents can be used in the tank mixture at once. They can be sprayed or applied using stem injections.

Prevention

To avoid infection of pine with rust, it is recommended to adhere to the following agricultural rules:

1. Carefully select seedlings.
2. Remove affected plants in time.
3. Plant intermediate and main hosts of fungi in different places.
4. Remove weeds that could be a source of infection.
5. Carefully collect dry leaves.
6. Proper application of nitrogen fertilizers. They cannot be used from mid-summer to late autumn.
7. Provide good drainage. This will help get rid of stagnant moisture.

Distribution of spores of rust pathogens is mainly observed from the end of May to the beginning of June. During this period, it is definitely recommended to treat the tree with solutions of preparations containing copper. Copper oxychloride and Abiga-Peak are good for this.

Rust is a rather dangerous pathology that depletes a tree and can even lead to its death. That is why it is so important to pay attention to preventive measures.If signs of infection do appear, immediate action should be taken to destroy the pathogens. To do this, it is recommended to remove the affected fragments from the tree and use effective new-generation fungicidal preparations.

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