Pulwama, Feb 24: Plant pathologists assert that understanding the symptoms of diseases and grasping the life cycles of their causative organisms are crucial for devising successful disease management strategies in apple orchards.
The experts maintain that this knowledge equips farmers with invaluable tools to combat various ailments plaguing the apple orchards.
Dr. Shabir, pathologist at KVK Shopian, said that knowledge of symptoms can facilitate precise disease identification, enabling appropriate management strategies.
He warns against the indiscriminate use of chemicals, stressing their detrimental impact on orchard health when misapplied due to misdiagnosis.
He said that understanding of the life cycle of causative organisms has a significance in effective disease management.
Dr Shahzad Ahmad, former professor of plant pathology at SKUAST-K revealed that the Apple trees predominantly fall prey to airborne or soil-borne fungal diseases, with scab emerging as the most prevalent culprit, infecting leaves, fruits, and branches alike.
Detailing the life cycle of scab, he elucidated how spores overwinter within leaf litter, germinating with the onset of spring.
“These spores then colonize the lower leaf surfaces, initiating primary scab infections, which escalate to secondary infections, spreading across leaves, fruits, and branches throughout the season,” he said, adding that distinguishing characteristics aid farmers in diagnosing various diseases.
He informed that scab manifests as spots with saw-toothed projections along their borders, while Alternaria Leaf Blotch presents circular, brown to purplish spots on leaves, and Necrotic Leaf Blotch exhibits irregularly shaped spots.
Another differentiating characteristic between the two according to the expert is that symptoms in scab appear after two weeks of incubation while in Alternaria symptoms appear within four days.
Powdery mildew, another common ailment, manifests as a powdery white mass on shoot tips, causing leaves to curl upward, the leaves show narrow growth. Meanwhile, twin infections of Sooty Blotch and Flyspeck unveil dark smudges and clusters of small black dots on apple surfaces, respectively.
Marssonina Leaf Blotch presents a distinct pattern of abrupt yellowing and defoliation, starting from lower branches and spreading upwards, signifying its presence in the orchard.
The experts stressed to maintain orchard sanitation and aeration for prevention of infections.
