Does one bad apple really spoil the whole bunch?
Yes, says Faye Dokken-Bouchard, a plant disease specialist with the Saskatchewan agriculture ministry.
“That example is directly true with diseases because they can affect the storage life and the quality after harvest, but it can also be used as an illustration within the orchard.”
She said in an orchard, diseases such as fire blight can spread quickly if growers don’t sanitize tools between trees. As well, wounded trees can pick up diseases more readily, especially if they are close together.
Read Also
Warding off dicamba spray drift
When it comes to farm weed control, some spraying experts say dicamba’s drift risk isn’t worth it, others say it’s a matter of proper management, smart farmer decisions and chemical product choice.
Producers should scout for signs of disease in their orchards, watch the weather and consider other factors that could stress their crops, such as wounds caused during pruning, pests or poor environmental conditions, she said.
“It could be just like a person. If you’re run down, then you’re opening yourself up to get sick too.”
Dokken-Bouchard said extreme temperatures, excessive or deficient moisture and hail or wind damage can cause stress that leads to disease.
Plant diseases affect crop quality and yield by reducing photosynthesis, stem flow and root growth uptake. This will reduce the amount of water and nutrients that can be taken up to the rest of the plant.
Dokken-Bouchard said some diseases have multiple cycles during the season. Early detection allows producers to get the disease under control before it spreads.
“Basically just being able to get a handle on it before it gets to the point where it’s having a devastating effect on your entire yield or entire crop.”
Dokken-Bouchard said fire blight was the biggest disease reported by apple and saskatoon berry producers last year.
Entomosporium leaf spot targeted saskatoon berries, while scabs were more specific to apples.
Sour cherry and haskap have been spared from serious disease, but producers should remain vigilant.
