Control for Peach Tree Brown Rot

The peach tree is a hearty growing fruit-producing tree from China that grows around in the world in temperate conditions. Peach trees are susceptible to a variety of plant diseases from fungi, bacteria and insects. Caused by the fungus Monilinia fructicola, brown rot or mummified fruit disease is a common fungal-borne disease affecting peach trees. Prevention of brown rot is the first line of defense, but chemical fungicides are a common method of control.

Brown Rot

Brown rot is a serious fungal disease that affects a variety of fruit-producing trees such as the peach and nectarine tree. Symptoms of brown rot consist of soft, brown decay, mummified fruit attached to the tree and fruit drop. According to the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, brown rot also causes blossom blight and twig blight in the spring, which greatly reduces crop yield.

Infection

The brown rot fungus survives winters in mummified fruit and spreads spores during the spring months. According to the West Virginia University, the brown rot fungus can take as little as 48 hours for fruit rot to occur after the initial infection. Infection can spread throughout the entire tree and to nearby trees. Because the disease spreads quickly, early detection is not a viable method for control. Prevention is the first line of defense against brown rot. The fungal spores primarily spread through infected mummies from the previous season.

Prevention

Brown rot caused by the fungus, Monlinia fructicola, survives over the winter in the mummified peach fruit. The University of Virginia recommends spacing out fruit crops to limit the disease spread, removing mummified fruits before the end of the growing season, prune dead branches and trees and use chemical control directly before and throughout the growing season. Damaged trees and fruits are more susceptible to the peach mummifying from brown rot. Various insects also carry the fungal pathogen; therefore, it is important to use insecticide as well as fungicides for proper control.

Chemical Management

According to the West Virginia University, insecticide as well as fungicide application throughout the growing season are the best controls for brown rot infections. Prevention with fungicides and insecticides are the best method for prevention as the disease cannot be treated once infection occurs. When dealing with most fungal diseases, equipment should be disinfected with one part bleach and nine parts water. The bleach helps provide preventative chemical control against transmitting brown rot from one season to another, and helps reduce the risk of tree to tree infection during the season.

Sources:

http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/450/450-721/450-721.html

http://www.caf.wvu.edu/kearneysville/disease_descriptions/ombrownr.html

http://www.ca.uky.edu/agcollege/plantpathology/ext_files/PPFShtml/PPFS-FR-T-9.pdf