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The first strategy of management is the cultural practices for reducing the disease. It includes adequating row and plant spacing that promote better air circulation through the canopy reducing the humidity; preventing excessive nitrogen on fertilization since nitrogen out of balance enhances foliage disease development; keeping the relatively humidity below 85% (suitable on greenhouse), promote air circulation inside the greenhouse, early planting might to reduce the disease severity and seed treatment with hot water (25 minutes at 122 °F or 50 °C).
The second strategy of management is the sanitization control in order to reduce the primary inoculum. Remove and destroy (burn) all plants debris after the harvest, scout for disease and rogue infected plants as soon as detected and steam sanitization the greenhouse between crops.
There is no resistance to Citrus Black Spot and once a tree has been infected there is no known cure causing tree removal to be the best option. Both Federal and State governments have recommended the following preventative measures.
To control "Guignardia citriparpa" fungicides like copper and/or strobilurins should be applied monthly from early May to the middle of September (in the northern hemisphere). Applications of the fungicides are recommended in early April (northern hemisphere) if that month has experienced more rainfall than usual resulting in the ideal conditions for citrus black spot to form.
Table 1. Recommended Chemical Controls for Citrus Black Spot
1)Lower rates can be used on smaller trees. Do not use less than minimum label rate.
2)Mode of action class for citrus pesticides from the Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC) 20111. Refer to ENY-624, "Pesticide Resistance and Resistance Management," in the 2012 Florida Citrus Pest Management Guide for more details.
3)Do not use more than 4 applications of strobilurin fungicides/season. Do not make more than 2 sequential applications of strobilurin fungicides.
Another method of control is to accelerate the leaf litter decomposition under the trees in citrus groves. Accelerating this decomposition reduces the chance for ascospore inoculation which generally takes place in the middle of March. There are three possible methods to hasten this decomposition. One method is the increase the mircrosprinkler irrigation in the grove to half an hour for at least five days of the week. This form of control should continue for about a month and a half. The second method is to apply urea or ammonium to the leaf litter. The last and final method to accelerate leaf decomposition is to apply lime or calcium carbonate to the litter. Urea, lime, and calcium carbonate reduce the number of fungal structures and spore production. Since the fungus requires wet conditions to thrive, air flow in the citrus grove should be maximized to reduce leaf wetness.
Along with these methods it is also important to get rid of debris such as fallen fruit or twigs in a manner that reduces the chances of infecting other plants. Citrus Black Spot can colonize and reproduce on dead twigs. To dispose of citrus debris it should either be heated to a minimum of 180℉ for two hours, incinerated, buried in a landfill, or fed to livestock. Plant trash should be moved with caution if at all to avoid spreading the infectious ascospores. Any trees that are infected with citrus black spot should be removed from the grove and disposed of. These trees must be removed because those that are declining and stressed will often have off season bloom. If there is more than one age of fruit present on the tree, it is possible for the asexual spores on the fruit to be transferred to new fruit, intensifying the disease. This off season blooming is often more problematic with Valencia oranges when old and new crops overlap.
Genetic resistance is the preferred disease management strategy because it allows farmers to minimize chemical intervention. Less pesticide and fungicide can encourage biological control agents, reduce production costs, and minimize the chemical residues in fruit. Some genetic varieties of raspberry are better than others for the control of leaf spot. Nova and Jewel Black are both resistant varieties, while Prelude and Honey Queen Golden Raspberry have some resistance, but can be susceptible depending on environmental conditions. Reiville, Canby, Encore and Anne are the most susceptible varieties.
Cultural practices are also important for the management of Raspberry Leaf Spot. Sanitation, which includes the removal of all plant debris and infected canes in the fall, reduces places for the pathogen to overwinter. Pruning the raspberry plants and planting in rows will allow for airflow to dry leaves, creating an uninviting environment for fungi. Furthermore, air flow circulation is important for reducing sporulation and successful infection. Lastly, avoid wounding the plants, as this may provide the fungus with an opportunity to infect.
This disease is hard to control because plants can carry the pathogen prior to showing any symptoms. It is important to be aware of where new plants are being planted so that they aren't exposed to disease.
The most effective method to avoid disease is to plant resistant cultivars that are specific to the location of planting. Some examples of resistant cultivars include Allstar, Cardinal, Delite, Honeoye, Jewel and Tennessee Beauty. Examples of susceptible cultivars that should be avoided include Sparkle, Sunrise, Raritan and Catskill.
Amongst the many different management strategies, cultural control practices play a significant role in prevention or reduction of disease. Some common cultural practices that have been used are as follows. In order to have more successful yields, strawberry plants should be planted in well-drained soil, in an area exposed to lots of available sunlight and air circulation. Presence of weeds may reduce air circulation for strawberry plants and create a shaded, moist environment, which would make the plants more wet and susceptible to disease. Therefore, weed growth needs to be prevented, either by chemical or cultural control methods. Immediately after harvest, any severely infected plants and plant debris should be raked, removed and burned completely to get rid of any remaining spores and reduce inoculum of the pathogen.
At the beginning of renovation, which occurs after harvest, one application of nitrogen fertilizers should be applied to help with canopy regrowth. About 4–6 weeks later, it is generally a good time to apply another application of nitrogen fertilization to the developing strawberry plants. This will allow for the plants to absorb nutrients provided by the fertilizer. However, applying too much nitrogen fertilizer throughout the spring, may result in an abundance of young foliage tissues that could be susceptible to disease.
Fungicides are not necessarily required, however if the strawberry grower decides to use fungicides, they should be applied during early in the spring and immediately after renovation. A fungicide spray schedule may also be put into place. It is recommended to spray in intervals of about 2 weeks. Examples of some recommended fungicides are Bulletin 506-B2, Midwest Commercial Small Fruit and Grape Spray Guide for commercial growers and Bulletin 780, Controlling Disease and Insects in Home Fruit Plantings for backyard home growers.
Management of Bleeding Canker of Chestnut is not definitive and treatments are currently being investigated. Because the pathogen can be spread by contaminated tools, cultural practices are important to management. Tools should be cleaned and used with caution after being used on infected trees. Recovery of trees is possible, so management strategies are focused on keeping trees healthy so they can recover. One recommendation is to add fertilizer that contains Potassium phosphate. Soil de-compaction, providing good drainage, and mulching to minimize fluctuation of soil temperature and moisture are all ways to improve or maintain tree health and to manage the pathogen.
Chemical methods can be used to help the tree maintain health and avoid progress of the disease. Management strategies are currently being developed. A study performed in 2015 examined the infection on trees and found that 41 F1 progeny parent tree source had the most promising lines of viability for resistance.
Necrotic ring spot can be managed through chemical and cultural controls. Cultural control includes the use of ammonium sulfate or other acidifying fertilizers to suppress the pathogen by lowering the pH of the soil to between 6.0 and 6.2. The more acidic soil discourages the activity of "O. korrae" (9) When reducing pH to these levels, additional manganese applications should be undertaken to compensate for lower pH. As of now, there are only two resistant cultivars of bluegrass, which are ‘Riviera’, and ‘Patriot’ (9). One component of their resistance could be that they are tolerant to low temperature, because the grass is more susceptible to the pathogen under colder temperatures(8). In addition, reducing watering inputs and growing turf on well drained soils can lessen disease symptoms.
Many different fungicides are used to control the pathogen, Fenarimol, Propiconazole, Myclobutanil, and Azoxystrobin (8). Historically, Fenarimol and Myclobutanil were predominantly used (14). In a study where diluted pesticides were sprayed throughout infested test plots, Fenarimol was found to be the most effective with a 94.6% reduction of the disease. Myclobutanil also decreased the amount of disease, but only by 37.7% (8). Myclobutanil is generally recognized as a very weakly acting demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicide and fenarimol is no longer registered for turf so a number of other DMI fungicides have been employed successfully, including Propiconazole, Tebuconazole, Metconazole and others. Pyraclostrobin and Fluoxastrobin have also been used to control the pathogen.
The best way to manage SDS is with a resistant variety. One issue is that most resistant varieties are only partially resistant so yield reductions may still occur. Another issue is that the plant needs resistance for SDS and SCN in order to gain true resistance because of their synergistic relationship and most varieties do not have resistance for both. Aside from resistance, the only other ways to control SDS are management practices.
These include:
- Avoid planting in cool, wet conditions
- Plant later when the soil has warmed up
- Try avoiding soil compaction as it creates wet spots in the soil that can increase plant stress and SDS infection rates
- Managing for SCN as this nematode often occurs alongside "F. virguliforme"
- Deep tillage to break up compaction and help the soil warm faster
One common management tactic used in other pathogen management plans is crop rotation. In some cases, disease severity can be reduced but most often it is not effective. This is because of chlamydospores and macroconidia as they can persist in soils for many years.
Fungicides are another common product used to control fungal pathogens. In-furrow applications and seed treatments with fungicides have some effect in decreasing disease instance but in most cases, the timing isn't right and the pathogen can still infect the plants. Foliar applications of fungicides have no effect on disease suppression for SDS because the fungi are found in the soil and mainly the roots of the plants. Most foliar fungicides do not move downward through plants, therefore having no effect on the pathogen.
The most proficient and economical method to reduce yield losses from corn grey leaf spot is by introducing resistant plant varieties. In places where leaf spot occur, these crops can ultimately grow and still be resistant to the disease. Although the disease is not completely eliminated and resistant varieties show disease symptoms, at the end of the growing season, the disease is not as effective in reducing crop yield. SC 407 have been proven to be common corn variety that are resistant to grey leaf spot. If grey leaf spot infection is high, this variety may require fungicide application to achieve full potential. Susceptible varieties should not be planted in previously infected areas (see high risk table).
Burying the debris under the last year’s crop will help in reducing the presence of "Cercospera zeae-maydis", as the fungal-infected debris can only survive above the soil surface. Again this technique will aid in reducing the primary inoculum, but it will not completely eradicate the disease.
"F. oxysporum" is a major wilt pathogen of many economically important crop plants. It is a soil-borne pathogen, which can live in the soil for long periods of time, so rotational cropping is not a useful control method. It can also spread through infected dead plant material, so cleaning up at the end of the season is important.
One control method is to improve soil conditions because "F. oxysporum" spreads faster through soils that have high moisture and bad drainage. Other control methods include planting resistant varieties, removing infected plant tissue to prevent overwintering of the disease, using soil and systemic fungicides to eradicate the disease from the soil, flood fallowing, and using clean seeds each year. Applying fungicides depends on the field environment. It is difficult to find a biological control method because research in a greenhouse can have different effects than testing in the field. The best control method found for "F. oxysporum" is planting resistant varieties, although not all have been bred for every forma specialis.
"F. oxysporum" f. sp. "batatas" can be controlled by using clean seed, cleaning up infected leaf and plant material and breeding for resistance. Fungicides can also be used, but are not as effective as the other two because of field conditions during application. Fungicides can be used effectively by dip treating propagation material.
Different races of "F. oxysporum" f. sp. "cubense", Panama disease on banana, can be susceptible, resistant and partially resistant. It can be controlled by breeding for resistance and through eradication and quarantine of the pathogen by improving soil conditions and using clean plant material. Biological control can work using antagonists. Systemic and soil fungicides can also be used.
The main control method for "F. oxysporum" f. sp. "lycopersici", vascular wilt on tomato, is resistance. Other effective control methods are fumigating the infected soil and raising the soil pH to 6.5-7.
The most effective way to control "F. oxysporum" f. sp. "melonis" is to graft a susceptible variety of melon to a resistant root-stock. Resistant cultivars, liming the soil to change soil pH to 6-7, and reducing soil nitrogen levels also help control "F. oxysporum" f. sp. "melonis".
The fungus "Trichoderma viride" is a proven biocontrol agent to control this disease in an environment friendly way.
There are several ways to manage turf melting out. They include both cultural and chemical.
http://www.lawnandmower.com/red-thread-disease.aspx
http://www.grassclippings.co.uk/RedThread.pdf
Various methods are applied.
- The most effective method is to plant peach trees against a house wall under an overhanging roof, possibly covered by a mat during the winter, to keep winter rain from the buds before they burst (and incidentally to delay blossoming until spring frosts are over), until the temperature exceeds in the spring, deactivating the fungus.
- Commercially, spraying the leaves with fungicides is the most common control method. The toxicity of these fungicides means they are not legally available to noncommercial growers in some countries. Spraying should be done in the winter well before budding. If trees are not sprayed early enough, treatment is ineffective. Copper-based mixtures (such as Bordeaux mixture) and lime sulfurs are two fungicides commonly used.
- Peach cultivars can be planted which show some resistance to peach leaf curl, or at least regenerate rapidly, such as Peach 'Benedicte'. No similarly resistant nectarine cultivar is yet known.
If a plant appears to have signs of leaf curl in a particular year, the disease will take its course, but precautions can be taken to sustain the tree or maximize crop yield: for example, treating with nitrogen and excess water to minimize stress on the tree; applying greasebands around the trunk to protect from insect infestation; and thinning the fruit. It is unclear whether removal of infected leaves from the tree is beneficial. Removing the infected leaves and fruit after they fall to the ground is sometimes also suggested but superfluous if, in the following winter, fungicides or rain protection are applied.
Strawberry foliar nematodes are difficult to manage due to their robust life cycle. While dormant, they are quite difficult to kill, and they remain viable in dry debris for more than one year. Adult nematodes can survive desiccation and lie dormant for several years. Eggs can stay dormant until survival conditions are optimal for growth. Once eggs or nematodes are present in the soil, they are nearly impossible to eradicate because they can move laterally in the soil to escape non-optimal conditions. They are found in most foliar tissue, including the leaves, stems, buds, and crowns, making it difficult to control the disease on the plant itself once it has been infected
Many plant diseases are managed chemically, but due to a ban of nematicides there are currently no nematicides available for any type of foliar nematode. Some insecticides, pesticides, and plant product extracts from plants such as Ficus and Coffee (of which many pesticides and nematicides are neem-based ) can be used to reduce the numbers of strawberry foliar nematode (a reduction of 67-85%), but none of these chemicals can completely eradicate the nematodes once they are present in the soil. These chemicals affect all stages of the life cycle because they target the nervous system. One chemical, ZeroTol, a broad-spectrum fungicide and algaecide, was shown be to 100% potent against nematodes living in a water suspension, but the study does not show how nematodes are affected in soil or outside of a laboratory environment.
An alternative method of control is a hot water treatment, which affects all stages of the life cycle and can be used on whole plants. This treatment has been used for 60 years with some effect in greenhouse plants, but not on a widespread agricultural level. The difficulty in this treatment is that exposure times to hot water and the temperature of the water must be optimized so that the nematodes are killed, but the cultivar remains undamaged. One study, which researched five California strawberry cultivars including Chandler, Douglas, Fern, Pajaro, and Selva, demonstrated that the minimum-maximum exposure times and temperatures that killed the nematodes but did not harm the cultivars were: 20–30 minutes at 44.4⁰C, 10–15 minutes at 46.1⁰C, and 8–10 minutes at 47.7⁰. The study also found that fruit production was more sensitive to the treatment than mere survival of the plant, so the minimum exposure times are recommended when using plants for fruit production, and the maximum time is recommended when using plants for propagation.
One of the best and most practiced forms of management to reduce the local and geographical spread of the disease is sanitation. Removing the infected leaves of the plant can reduce spread in the individual plant, but because the nematode is found in most foliar tissue the nematodes may already be present in other tissues before the leaf symptoms appear. The nematodes can also move on the outside of the plant surface when water is present, so the nematodes can move around the outside surface of the plant and infect new tissues. Therefore, once plants show any signs of infection, they should be removed and destroyed. Reducing or eliminating overhead irrigation can prevent dispersal of the nematode through water splashing, and keeping the foliage dry prevents the nematodes from moving on the outside of the plant. Plants should be placed further apart to allow water to dry quickly after irrigation. In the greenhouse or nursery, soils, containers, and tools should be sterilized on a regular basis, and the floor and storage areas should be free from plant debris.
The most important form of management is prevention of introduction of the nematode to the environment. One should avoid planting infected plants, and it is recommended that new plants (especially in a personal lawn or greenhouse) be planted in an isolated area to monitor the plant for the development of symptoms before transplanting the plant near established plants. This will prevent the established plants from getting infected from a new, infected plant. All symptomatic plants should be destroyed immediately. Dead plant material should also be handled with caution. Vermiform nematodes can survive and reproduce in compost piles of dead plant material by feeding on fungi that are commonly found in compost. As a result, infected plants should be burned and sterilized to prevent the nematodes from infecting soil (which results directly from burying the material), or other plants (from allowing the plant to remain rooted in the soil near other plants as it dies).
Bacterial leaf streak of wheat is not easily prevented, but can be controlled with clean seed and resistance. Some foliar products, such as pesticides and antibiotic compounds, have been tested for effectiveness, but have proven to have insignificant outcomes on the bacterial pathogen.
Using clean seed, with little infection, has yielded effective results for researchers and producers. The pathogen, being seed-borne, can be controlled with the elimination of contaminated seed, however, clean seed is not always a sure solution. Because the pathogen may still live in the soil, the use of clean seed is only effective if both the soil and seed are free of the pathogen. Currently, there are no successful seed treatments available for producers to apply to wheat seed for the pathogen.
Variety resistance is another option for control of the disease. Using cultivars such as Blade, Cromwell, Faller, Howard or Knudson, which are resistant to BLS may reduce the impact of the disease and potentially break the disease cycle. Avoiding susceptible cultivars such as Hat Trick, Kelby, and Samson may also reduce the presence of the disease and reduce the amount of bacterial residue in the soil. Using integrated pest management techniques such as tillage to turn over the soil and bury the infection as well as rotating crops may assist with disease management, but are not a definitive control methods. Depending on conditions, the bacteria may survive for up to 81 months. Because the bacteria is moisture driven, irrigation may also increase the risks of BLS infection.
Rainscald normally heals on its own, however as the condition can spread to involve large areas, prompt treatment is recommended. Although some cases can be severe, most rain scald is minor and can be easily and cheaply treated at home naturally.
First groom the affected parts carefully, to remove any loose hair. Be extremely gentle, the area is very sore itchy and horses will very quickly get fidgety. Next shampoo the area, use warm water and a soft cloth or brush, and massage the lather through the coat as much as the horse will tolerate. It is best to use Neem shampoo here, as this will treat as well as clean, but any mild shampoo is fine. Remove as much water as possible and dry the horse off, either use a hair drier or let him/her stand in the sun until completely dry. It is important not to let the horse roll! The rain scald bacteria may be picked up from the soil.
When the horse is completely dry, gently brush off any more loose hair. Next apply a salve or cream containing a high percentage of neem oil, or even pure neem oil, to liberally coat the affected area. Rub it in using fingertips, massage the area as much as the horse will tolerate. This will be very greasy. Smooth the hair back down and apply a rug to keep the horse dry, this prevents the neem being washed off as well as protecting from more dampness issues. Turn the horse out as normal.
Check it every day, and reapply the neem salve/cream if it seems to have dried away. The area should remain greasy with neem. Every 2–3 days or so, go through and scrape/pick off as much of the scabs as possible without upsetting the horse or making it bleed, then reapply the neem. Typically there will be improvement in a few days, and in a week there'll be some sign of new hair growing back. More severe rain scald may take longer.
Once all the scabs are gone and there is new hair fuzz growing in all over, use neem shampoo to clean the area of greasy residue, and dry well. Keep the horse covered for some time after rain scald has been treated, particularly in wet weather. Do not allow the skin to remain damp. It is advisable to shampoo the horse after riding or exercising, to remove sweat, which may encourage rain scald conditions, and make sure the coat is completely dry afterwards.
This treatment works in many ways. First, shampooing cleans the area of any contaminants, remove a lot of loose hair and scabs, and the rubbing stimulates the circulation. The neem is an antifungal agent, and works to eliminate the bacteria that cause the infection. It soothes the irritation in the area, and its greasiness provides the ideal environment for the raw skin to heal and grow new hair. It also helps to soften and lift the scabs. The new hair cannot grow in until those scabs are removed from the surface, but they are very painful to pick and remove, and most horses are intolerant of this procedure. After the neem has soaked into these scabs they will come away much more freely, and soon new hair will grow through.
In conventional treatment, scabs are softened with benzoyl peroxide and chlorhexidine and removed in order to speed the healing process. In severe or chronic cases, penicillin and streptomycin are injected into the horse to kill the bacteria.
Typically the disease is not life-threatening, nor does it impact the welfare of the horse, so treatments are more for the owner's sake of mind and cosmetic appeal of the animal.
Feeding the lawn with a nitrogen based fertilizer will help the grass recover and help prevent future attacks.
Red Thread can be treated using a fungicide that contains benomyl or carbendazim. The infection will rarely kill the grass, usually only affecting the blades and not the roots, and the lawn should recover in time.
References
1) Ryzin, Benjamin Van. “Red Thread.” "Wisconsin Horticulture", 23 June 2013, hort.uwex.edu/articles/red-thread/
2) Harmon, Philip, and Richard Latin. “Red Thread.” "Purdue Extension", Dec. 2009, www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/bp/bp-104-w.pdf.
3) “Red Thread.” "Plant Protection", NuTurf, nuturf.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/09/Red-Thread-Info.pdf.
4) “Suppression of Soil-Borne Plant Diseases with Composts: A Review.” "Taylor & Francis", www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09583150400015904
5) “Red Thread — Laetisaria Fuciformis.” "Red Thread (Laetisaria Fuciformis) - MSU Turf Diseases.net - Disease Identification and Information. A Resource Guide from the Dept. of Plant Pathology at Michigan State University", www.msuturfdiseases.net/details/_/red_thread_14/.
6) “Lawn and Turf-Red Thread.” "Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks", OSU Extension Service - Extension and Experiment Station Communications, 4 Apr. 2017, pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/lawn-turf-red-thread.
In order to prevent rainscald, it is important to stop the spread of the bacteria. Tick and insect control is an effective way to stop the spread of the bacteria from one animal to another. As well, separating infected animals will help to stop the spread of the bacteria. Keeping the animal in a dry, well-ventilated area out of the rain and wet conditions will stop the bacteria from growing. This dry environment includes dry ground as well as dry air.
Golf courses affect the United States economy with about 18 billion dollars annually. Turf melting out is an important disease economically for golf course superintendents. When turfgrass quality is affected on a golf course, the course has a potential to lose golfers, in turn, losing money. After a golf course has an outbreak of turf melting out, the damage needs to be assessed and the turf needs to be replaced. Mending these damaged areas cost money from the fungicide applications to rid the area of the disease to the replacement of turf. Simple cultural controls help reduce the risk of this disease, but when the methods are not used, it can be costly.
In affected orchards, new infections can be reduced by removing leaf litter and trimmings containing infected tissue from the orchard and incinerating them. This will reduce the amount of new ascospores released in the spring. Additionally, scab lesions on woody tissue can be excised from the tree if possible and similarly destroyed.
Chemical controls can include a variety of compounds. Benzimidazole fungicides, e.g., Benlate (now banned in many countries due to its containing the harmful chemical benzene) work well but resistance can arise quickly. A number of other chemical classes including sterol inhibitors such as Nova 40, and strobilurins such as Sovran are used extensively; however, some of these are slowly being phased out because of resistance problems.
Contact fungicides not prone to resistance, such as Captan, are viable choices. Potassium bicarbonate is an effective fungicide against apple scab, as well as powdery mildew, and is allowed for use in organic farming. Copper and Bordeaux mixture are traditional controls but are less effective than chemical fungicides, and can cause russeting of the fruit. Wettable sulfur also provides some control. Timing of application and concentration varies between compounds.
An apple scab prognostic model called RIMpro was developed by Marc Trapman, which numerically grades infection risk and can serve as a warning system. It allows better targeted spraying. Parameter for calculation are wetness of leaves, amount of rain fall and temperature.
Fifteen genes have been found in apple cultivars that confer resistance against apple scab. Researchers hope to use cisgenic techniques to introduce these genes into commercial cultivars and therefore create new resistant cultivars. This can be done through conventional breeding but would take over 50 years to achieve.
The blotches are cosmetic damage "unacceptable to consumers" and downgrade fruit from premium fresh-market grade to processing use, i.e. reduce its market value, but leaf and fruit development are not affected.
Preventive measures are pruning which allows light and air to enter the tree, to achieve fast drying. Strong growth within the root area dams up moisture and facilitates infection.
A prognostic model called Sooty Blotch RIMpro has been developed, which still awaits validation. Similar to the apple scab model it numerically grades risk and degree of infection and can serve as a warning system. It allows conventional growers to spray more targeted. The parameters for calculation are wetness of leaves, amount of rain fall and temperature.
Conventional orchards that spray fungicides against apple scab, treat soot blotch and flyspeck at the same time. Therefore, the problem is not seen in conventional non-resistant varieties. However, scab-resistant varieties, which are not sprayed frequently show the infection. In organic orchards, spraying 4–5 with lime sulphur or coco soap during the main infectious periods is recommended.
The major objectives of the topical treatment is to kill any bacteria or fungi and to reduce the inflammation.
Good success has been noted by some with topical steroids such as triamcinolone and betamethasone applied to the lesions in conjunction with other treatments containing Kunzea.