Canada: Apple growers on alert for fire blight
The harsh winds damaged trees – tore leaves and broke branches – creating opportunities for the bacteria that is highly active in wet weather to infect trees in various stages of production.
“The hurricane made perfect conditions for spreading it,” said Andy Parker, president of the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association.
The industry is still recovering from the multi-million dollar setback, with growers banding together to reduce the likelihood of another widespread outbreak.
A collective approach to tackling fire blight is crucial, especially now.
“Blossom time is a particularly dangerous time because each blossom represents an entry into the tree and, of course, you have insects – bees, etc. – going around pollinating these and they can pick up the bacteria and spread it around very rapidly,” said Parker.
“It takes at least five to seven years to get the production back once you replace the tree,” said Parker, who stressed that growers throughout the region will be substantially impacted by the lost potential.
The industry has developed a proactive recovery program in an effort to make fire blight a problem of the past. Parker admits it is a costly and labour intensive problem for growers to deal with, but he is confident the end results will be well worth it.
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