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dennis1983

Bacterial canker on peach trees

dennis1983
9 years ago

Hi

Sorry for bad subject. I would ask is there bacterial canker Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia or other areas in northern U.S.A? I know it is in Georgia, California and southeastern U.S.A. where is warm weather. I know also root lesion nematode can predispose to this disease. I have looked my peach tree book but, it doesn't says is it there, it says nematodes causes yield losses. I have not found information on internet when i searched on internet about peaches bacterial canker Michigan. Found altough sweet cherry can get it in Michigan. I think that might be not on those areas on peaches, i guess there would be some mention somewhere if that was on isssue there. That came to mind as some rootstock are vulnerable to bacterial canker. This might lead me to think maybe bacterial canker more of warm weather type disease than Michigan is. On peaches i meant. I don't know how much there is root lesion nematodes in Michigan. You can't see root lesion nematodes as they are so small, i have no idea what temperature they need live or i don't remember now - i didn't check my book now. I think we meant soil temperature as they are in ground or roots, those don't go in fruit i think. Does someone in Michigan or northern U.S.A. have some information regarding this?

Comments (8)

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    9 years ago

    Well I had 2 cherry trees with canker in Michigan, so yes it can happen here. Fungal cankers exist too. Yes it can happen in MI here is a report about it showing up in peaches.

    Constriction canker (Phomopsis) is showing up as wilting and gumming of current seasonâÂÂs growth.

    Here is a link that might be useful: MSU regional report

    This post was edited by Drew51 on Fri, Nov 21, 14 at 23:38

  • ramble
    9 years ago

    I'm sure you googled. But I know Kocide 3000, a copper fungicide, protects agains this. Link below talks copper.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Bacterial Canker Remedies

  • dennis1983
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Drew51 hi

    Was those cherries sweet or sour? I guess both might be vulnerable to bacterial canker. This your mentioned canker seems different what i mentioned, latin name is different and Images looks different. I think this is some kind of different canker. When searching on internet on name you gave it, i got site which says no enonomic importance and rare in Michigan.

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    9 years ago

    Yes it is rare, but came up a lot this year in MI. Sweet cherries was infected on my end. Copper can help. I use it and my trees still got canker. I think though any canker is possible. Out of NY some canker resistant sweet cherries were released. I will one day add some of them. I have two sweet cherry trees left. I also have 2 tart cherries, from the Romance series, bush cherries. Both are Carmine Jewel.

  • olpea
    9 years ago

    Dennis,

    The bigger problem in cooler climates for peaches is perennial canker. Perennial canker (aka Valsa canker, Cytospora canker, Leucostoma canker) is caused by a fungus.

    It is certainly much more serious in my locale. The problem w/ perennial canker is that, well, it's perennial. Black perennial cankers want to just keep growing/expanding year after year. I believe it's worse in cooler climates because trees are damaged more by winter kill and southwest injury, as well as the fact the fungus grows at cool temps when the trees are inactive and have no defenses.

    As Drew alluded, bacterial peach canker is more rare in the north. It can cause complete collapse of the tree. My understanding is that sweet cherries are more susc. to bacterial canker than peaches. I've heard of whole orchards of sweet cherries collapsing and dying from bacterial canker.

    As Ramble mentions, I've always heard copper will help against bacterial canker, but the link below from U.C. Davis says that bactericides have no reliable effect on bacterial canker.

    Bactericides are effective against bacterial spot. Because of that, I wonder if people have reasoned bactericides must also be effective against bacterial canker, although that may not be the case.

    There are a few sources which indicate copper may help against bacterial canker, but I'm inclined to think it probably doesn't help. From what I can tell, bacterial canker has a modus operandi on stone fruits somewhat like fireblight on pome fruits. Both are caused by bacteria. Both can become systemic. Both can cause sudden collapse of the trees. Both can cause cankers, but the cankers don't expand appreciatively year after year.

    Copper is effective against fireblight, but that's only because it prevents the innoculum from entering the flowers. Once fireblight enters the wood tissue, bactericides like copper have no effect. The bacterium is more or less insulated from the bactericide.

    It appears the same thing happens w/ bacterial canker in peach/cherry, except that the bacterium mostly enters the tree through pruning, some other damage to the bark, or leaf scars, vs through blooms. Because of that, there would seem to be less justification in applying a bactericide for control of the disease. Once the disease is systemic, the pathogen would again be insulated from the bactericide, as w/ the case in fireblight.

    Anyway, that's my understanding of the topic.

    Copper is also a fungicide, and so may have some effect against perennial (fungal) cankers, although perennial cankers don't become systemic, like bacterial canker. Perennial cankers just keep growing until they girdle the affected limb and kill it.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Bacterial Canker on Peach

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    9 years ago

    Yeah I use it as a preventative not to treat, copper that is. . As often I hear don't spray if you don't have it. In this case, don't spray if you have it, it's too late! So preventative sprays should be done. I now only prune my cherries in spring (taking a chance!) and the middle of a dry summer.
    I spray them with copper before and after pruning.
    While I'm out there in the spring I may hit my other trees too, and brambles, and blueberries etc.

  • dennis1983
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Olpea hi

    Good message you wrote, i think it might have taken a while a time to write it. First 2 chapter good, not much to add to that. Yes i know bacterial canker can kill peach tree. I think bacterial canker is hard to get rid of, some peaches are more resistant to it but i think it is hard to get peach tree complete resistance to it. I got verification of my thoughts, but wanted to ask to get confirmation about this thing.

  • dennis1983
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi

    Looks like i wrote wrong name about that nematode. It is not root lesion which can cause bacterial canker, it is ring nematode. I accidently wrote wrong name of that nematode. Better to correct it right now as i saw it.