Apple Tree Cancer (15 Photos): The Fight Against It. European And Bacterial Cancer, Root And Black. Signs And Treatment Of Diseases

2024 Author: Beatrice Philips | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-18 12:09

Orchard apple trees are often affected by cancer. This disease is considered one of the most dangerous: it often leads to the rapid death of the plant. Today we will talk about the types of cancer on apple trees, the symptoms of its appearance, as well as possible treatments.

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Apple cancer is of various types, each of which has its own characteristics

Black … It is the most common variety. It appears due to a fungal infection on trees (in places of damage and small cracks). At the initial stage, it is almost impossible to identify the disease. In the process of development, black cancer will hit the core of the tree trunk, over time, active putrefactive processes will begin, in this case the apple tree will have to be completely cut down. Those apple trees that will no longer be subject to treatment must be uprooted and burned so that they do not become a source of spread of such an infection.

Ordinary … This variety is also often referred to as European crayfish. The disease develops due to the ingress of harmful fungi under the bark. It has two forms: open and closed. In the first case, the trunk will look cracked, the depth of the cracks may even reach its core. In the second case, affected areas appear under the growths. Common crayfish strongly disrupts the carbohydrate and water balance of vegetation, which further leads to a significant decrease in yield, and then to the death of the apple tree. This disease is most difficult for undersized varieties.

Root … This disease develops due to the penetration of harmful fungi into the roots of the plant. This leads to the appearance of a large number of growths, which over time begin to rot. There is almost no cure for this type of cancer. Most often, they suffer from fruit crops that were planted in slightly alkaline soils.

Bacterial … In this disease, the upper parts of fruit trees are primarily affected. An increased level of humidity and high ambient temperatures can provoke the rapid development of this disease. With this type of cancer, there is a complete loss of yield, a slowdown and a halt in the development process.

Reasons for the appearance

There are several main causes of this disease on apple trees

• Increased temperature conditions . Warm weather is essential for cancer development. The bacteria of this disease can remain dormant for more than two years (under the bark of plants). Moreover, they quickly become active when the temperature rises to 23-25 degrees Celsius.
• Low quality of the trees themselves . Most often, cancer appears on weakened and old plants. Their immunity does not allow them to fight diseases.
• Improper care . Cancer can also appear in cases where timely pruning, treatment of damaged areas is not carried out, mosses and lichens on the bark are not removed, and preventive measures are not taken.
• Incorrect fit . Do not plant the garden plot too tightly with such crops. This can lead to the rapid spread of cancer to all trees at once. You should also refuse to plant too deep, which can also provoke various types of cancer.

Treatment methods

Today, there are various methods of dealing with this disease on apple trees. Treatment should be carried out in a comprehensive manner, it includes the following procedures.

• Cleaning … In this case, a thorough cleaning is carried out. It involves the removal of all damaged branches, fruits, leaf plates. In this case, all removed parts are necessarily burned. Otherwise, they can become a source of further spread of cancer.
• Treatments on the bark of trees . Skeletal branches are removed completely, because, as a rule, they cannot be treated. All other affected parts of plants are destroyed by a mechanical method, that is, they are cut in such a way that the removed part does not reach a couple of centimeters to healthy plant tissues. In this case, all parts must also be burned.
• Disinfection … All places of cuts, damage must be immediately treated with special antiseptic agents. In this case, copper sulfate, brilliant green can come up. After carrying out such a procedure, the treated areas must be isolated from the action of atmospheric air and moisture. For this, oil paint or garden var are used.
• Folk remedies . Gardeners often use a variety of homemade folk remedies to kill cancer. You can use a mass with clay and mullein. These components are mixed in equal proportions. Then the wood is treated with an antiseptic compound and a thick layer of the finished mixture is applied there (at least 10 centimeters). Further, during the season, this place is slightly moistened with clean water. Ordinary garden soil can be used as well. The soil is first slightly moistened, after which the resulting mixture is applied to the damaged parts of the trees.
• Antibiotic use . Copper antibiotics are the most commonly used antibiotics to fight various types of cancer. The drug can be in the form of a powder, tablets. It is preliminarily diluted in clean water, and then sprayed with the finished mixture. It is worth doing a thorough cleaning in advance. Treatments are carried out with a break of 2 or 3 weeks.
• The use of stem injections . In this case, the drug streptomycin is used. The procedure will need to be performed during the growing season. A hole is formed in the tree at a level of one meter from the surface of the earth; its depth should be about 2 centimeters. Moreover, there should be no cracks or other damage near it. After that, a garden hose is placed in the hole, through which the healing solution will have to pass. Next, a mixture is fed under pressure (streptomycin solution 4%). After the end of such processing, the hole must be tightly closed with a cork. Remember that the area of action of such injections is limited to two meters up and down from the hole. This treatment should be repeated 4-5 times with a break of one week.

Various drugs can be used to treat apple trees for cancer. Compositions with copper are often used, including HOM, Bordeaux liquid, copper sulfate, Tsikhom.

But they are mainly taken for disinfection of affected areas on trees.

Also, processing is often carried out special preparations , which are characterized by systemic or contact action. Among them, the following compositions should be highlighted: "Horus", "Topaz", "Alirin-B", "Strike ". As a rule, they are used to spray the ground in the near-trunk zone and the crown.

Sometimes gardeners treat plants with special microbiological preparations … Among them, it is worth highlighting Gamair, Alirin, Fitosporin . The latter is used most often. It comes in the form of a pasty substance that has a healing effect and also helps protect the treated areas on the plants.

Currently, there are special drugs that are designed to replace diseased areas of the cortex.

Artificial materials can cause rotting underneath, so you need to work with them as carefully as possible

On an industrial scale, plants can be treated strong fungicides , including taken Topsin M and Funaben . They allow you to have a disinfecting effect on fungal infections. The preparations are complex, they will also protect the crop from other diseases and pests.

Prevention measures

To avoid the appearance of this disease on apple trees, it is worth doing some important preventive measures … Don't forget to produce whitewash trunk, as well as skeletal branches, do it in the fall.

Also remember that it is necessary to carry out regular preventive treatments with fungicides . Sometimes such compounds are simply added to the whitewash.

All damaged parts of trees must be immediately cut and removed so that they do not infect other plants.

If you notice that even small cracks have appeared on the tree, they will need to be immediately treated with fungicides well, and then covered with whitewash . Periodically apply fertilizing with manganese, zinc, potassium.

It is better to cover up all the hollows on the plants with clay. Sometimes cement mortar is also used. But in any case, this place is pre-treated with a preparation with copper, copper sulfate will be the best option.