Fruit Tree Pathology Lab at Virginia Tech
(I). FIRE BLIGHT. As of last week (12 May), first fire blight symptoms were visible in Southern and central Virginia (Figs 1 and 2). We are aware that symptoms of fire blight were probably visible much earlier in different warmer locations (from 5 May on), …
Based on the long range forecast for 2025, we will be expecting more rain in months prior to apple harvest. Apple bitter rot disease is a significant risk for apple production in apple orchards of the whole East U.S. Coast and Midwest. Apple bitter rot …
(I) We are very close to the end of primary apple scab season but we are not there yet. We call the ned of the primary scab season when the apple scab fungus’ Venturia inaequalis ascospore number in the spore bank in the leaf litter …
Due to extremely conducive conditions, all the major apple fungal diseases in the Northern Virginia are visible as of 2 May 2025: apple scab (Figs 1, 2), powdery mildew (Fig. 3), and rust (Fig. 4). On 2 May, I found first fresh apple scab infections …