HortScience (2003) 38, 1141-1143

T.G. Beckman, P.L. Pusey and P.F. Bertrand (2003)
Impact of fungal gummosis on peach trees
HortScience 38 (6), 1141-1143
Abstract: Peach tree fungal gummosis caused by Botryosphaeria dothidea [(Moug.:Fr.) Cos and de Not.] is widespread throughout the southeastern United States. Until recently, its economic impact on peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] has been impossible to estimate, since no effective controls were known. Significant, though not total, suppression of gummosis on 'Summergold' peach trees was achieved with an intensive 5-year spray program with captafol. Captan was far less effective than captafol. Both trunk diameter and fruit yield were negatively correlated with disease severity. After eight growing seasons, trees treated with captafol were 18% larger than the untreated trees. Yield of mature captafol-treated trees was 40% to 60% high er than that of untreated ones. Following termination of the spray program after 5 years, disease severity gradually increased on both captafol- and captan-treated trees. However, through eight growing seasons, disease severity was significantly lower on captafol-treated trees. This study demonstrates that peach tree fungal gummosis significantly depresses tree growth and fruit yield on susceptible peach cultivars.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): P. Lawrence Pusey

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
damage/losses/economics
control - general

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Botryosphaeria dothidea	Peach/nectarine (Prunus persica)	U.S.A. (SE)