The Influence of Fungicide Sprays on Infection Of Apple cv. Bramley's Seedling By Nectria galligena

Abstract

In 1990, a long-term trial was initiated by planting young apple trees, cv. Bramley's Seedling, inoculated, at single sites in the leader shoots, with Nectria galligena. The effect of spring–summer and autumn fungicide spray programmes, applied during 1991–1993, on the development of new cankers was assessed up to May 1994. Spring–summer fungicide programmes, applied as for the control of apple scab, reduced numbers of new cankers by between 65% and 76% compared with the untreated control. Sterol demethylation inhibiting fungicides (hexaconazole, myclobutanil, penconazole) had a similar effect on canker to dithianon. Autumn application of copper oxychloride at 5% and 50% leaf-fall further reduced numbers of new cankers. The combination of a spring–summer benzimidazole (carbendazim or thiophanate-methyl) with a scab fungicide (dithianon) and autumn copper oxychloride did not improve canker control compared with applying copper oxychloride after spring–summer myclobutanil+mancozeb. The percentage of fruit which developed rots in long-term storage was decreased by spring–summer benzimidazole application, but not by other fungicide programmes even those which achieved similar levels of canker control.