Scab is a very common disease of apple trees. It causes a special kind of fungus. When infected, dark olive spots appear on leaves, cuttings, branches and fruits . In wet years, this disease manifests itself in the spring, during flowering. With severe infection, you can lose the entire crop, since the buds and buds infected with the fungus can fall off. When scab appears on the fruits, a dense cork layer forms on their skin, preventing the fungus from penetrating the pulp. Most often, an untidy apple tree is exposed to infection.
Scab affects heavily thickened trees, very tall, as well as irrigated from above.
This disease is also very dangerous in the first stage of fruiting. With a severe defeat, the fruits, like flowers, may fall. Sometimes trees become infected in the second half of summer. In this case, spots on the fruits may appear after harvest. At the same time, the scab on the apple tree, the photo of which you can see below, significantly reduces the keeping quality of the fruits and the content of vitamin C. In addition, the apples completely lose their presentation. Scab in this case can cause significant damage.
The best measure to combat this disease is prevention. Moreover, not a single apple tree should be left without attention. The scab will not hit the trees if the owner of the garden will take appropriate measures. Firstly, you need to periodically trim at the appointed time, in no case preventing the thickening of the crown.
Secondly, you must immediately get rid of any potential source of infection - to rake off fallen leaves and branches.
In addition, you need to periodically spray the trees with suitable chemicals. The first treatment is done in the spring. When this is sprayed with a 10% solution of ammonium nitrate, the trunk circle. Processing apple from scab is also carried out during the budding period. This time the tree itself is sprayed with a 1-3% solution of Bordeaux fluid. For apple trees growing in a humid climate, a stronger composition is used, for those that are planted in arid areas - weaker.
Thus, each apple tree must be processed. Scab, like any other fungal disease, can be transmitted very quickly from one tree to another. The second treatment must be done after flowering with a solution of the same composition. The third time, trees are sprayed after three weeks.
However, not every apple tree is infected with this infection. Scab practically does not touch such varieties as Antonovka, Renet champagne, Teremok, Pepin saffron and others. In those gardens where this disease manifests itself constantly and is pronounced, it is worthwhile to conduct a more serious treatment of trees. In this case, the so-called "blue spraying" is used. For 300 grams of
copper sulphate, take 400 grams of quenched immediately before mixing lime. The resulting mixture was diluted in ten liters of water.
Spraying can also be carried out with carbonate, copper-containing and other special fungicides. Particular attention to apple trees in this regard must be paid in the first half of summer, during the flowering period. By applying all the above measures, you can significantly reduce crop losses caused by such a common infection of apple trees as scab.