Plant Protection Service 1 FIRE - BLIGHT Disease spread and control in Emilia-Romagna region

Plant Protection Service2 History: 1994

Plant Protection Service3 History: 1995

Plant Protection Service4 History: 1996

Plant Protection Service5 History: 1997

Plant Protection Service6 History: 1998

Plant Protection Service7 History: 1999

Plant Protection Service8 Present situation

Plant Protection Service9 Host affected in 2000

Plant Protection Service10 Inspections: field monitoring Monitoring: field surveys carried out by Phytosanitary Inspectors and scout squads Orchards Ornamental and wild plants Nurseries Pear Apple Quince Medlar Chess Apple Hawthorn Firethorn Cotoneaster Crete Hawthorn Chinese Hawthorn

Plant Protection Service11 Inspections: Symptoms monitored

Plant Protection Service12 Inspections: Orchard mapping Manual mapping using paper maps Farm mapping using GPS

Plant Protection Service13 Inspections: data store Scheda campione __________________________ Verbale di constatazione __________________________ Monitoraggio straordinario Azienda _________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ Monitoraggio straordinario Azienda _________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ Verbale di constatazione __________________________ Validation and data insert in the Regional Information System of the Plant protection Service ( FitoGis ) Registro analisi ______________ffgff__________ __________________________ Registro analisi __________________________

Plant Protection Service14 Inspections: Data elaboration Themes overlaying (roads, rivers, farms etc.) on technical territorial maps (aerial photographs, satellites photographs, cartographic maps etc.) Specific software (ArcView, FitoMap) Elaboration (1 km radius areas, ecc.)

Plant Protection Service15 Inspections: Data access GIS works on a LAN Server connected with inspector’s PC.

Plant Protection Service16 Hail and fireblight in a fire blight free area (1996) the absolute number of cases considerably rises the year after that of hail event. This situation can be easily observed as long as the disease is not uniformly diffused ( ).

Plant Protection Service17 Main roads and fire-blight Disease incidence increasing with the closeness of the main roads may suggest that Erwinia amylovora locates preferentially where movements of tools, goods and people represents a better way of pathogen’s introduction and spread.

Plant Protection Service18 Cougar-blight model and E.a. infections

Plant Protection Service19 Measures adopted  M.Decrees Forced Removal of affected plants (National decree) Limitation of bee-hive movements (National decree) Abrogation of ZP Passport (EU directive) Setting up of buffers zones (EU directive) Prohibition to plant Crataegus (Regional law) Setting up of saveguarded areas (Regional law)  Money contributions For farms replacing affected plants with new healthy ones (Regional law)  Authority Regional supervision  Technical-Scientific Committee Supervision of experimentation and research Set up technical guidelines  Divulgation Meetings Technical brochures Web-site

Plant Protection Service20 Antibiotics Yes – Antibiotics No In Italy, antibiotic application in agriculture is forbidden due to: Efficacy against E.a. is usually medium Likely to develop resistant E.a. strains Likely to develop other resistant phytopathogenic bacteria Likely to develop resistant bacteria strains pathogens on human

Plant Protection Service21 Chemical Control  Copper compounds  Phosetyl Alluminium  Mancozeb+Copper  Streptomycin  Ca-Prohexadione  BTH

Plant Protection Service22 Research and experimentation  Aims Improve knowledge about E.a. survival, dissemination ad evolution in E.Romagna ecosystems. Improve Integrated Production strategies Verify the role of honey-bees in disease spread Obtain new pear varieties tolerant to E.a.

Plant Protection Service23 Integrated Production Strategies  Chemical control Chemical control  Biological control Biological control  Verify the efficacy of growth regulator (Ca- Prohexadione) Verify the efficacy of growth regulator (Ca- Prohexadione)  Find relationship between E.a. infections and plant nutrition Find relationship between E.a. infections and plant nutrition  Study SAR efficacy against fire-blight Study SAR efficacy against fire-blight

Plant Protection Service24 Efficacy of different a.i. on flower E.a. indoor infections  Check (H 2 O)  Firestop (200 g/hl)  Mancozeb+Cu (Dithane DG, 200g/hl + Copper Pro 50 wdg, 100 g/hl)  Streptomycin (10 g/hl)  Sprays were carried out 1 day before inoculation

Plant Protection Service25 Efficacy of copper on E.a.

Plant Protection Service26 Copper efficacy against fireblight

Plant Protection Service27 Copper efficacy against fireblight

Plant Protection Service28 Copper efficacy against fire-blight

Plant Protection Service29 Phyto-toxicity of copper on pear

Plant Protection Service30 Phyto-toxicity of copper on pear

Plant Protection Service31 Phyto-toxicity of copper on pear

Plant Protection Service32 Efficacy of antagonistic bacteria on pear shoot infections Classes of Disease severity (G) class I: n = 0 (healthy shoots); class II: n  20% class III: n 20%  n  50 %; class IV: 50%  n  70 % class V: 70%  n  100%

Plant Protection Service33 Efficacy of Ca-Prohexadione on induced e.a. infections Disease incidence in field trial on Cv Abbée Fétél Disease incidence and severity in indoor trial on Cv Abbée Fétél

Plant Protection Service34 Plant nutrition and fire blight 1.check (H 2 O);; 2.irrigation reduced 50% compared with check (water stress); 3.irrigation with 0.72 g/l di NaCl g di CaCl 2 (25 meq/l that is 2.1 mmho cm -1 ); 4.irrigation with 1.45 g/l di NaCl g di CaCl 2 (50 meq/l, that is 4.2 mmho cm -1 ); 5.irrigation with 2.9 g/l di NaCl g di CaCl 2 (100 meq/l, that is 8.3 mmho cm -1 ); 6.fertilization with 8 g di N e 4 g di K at the beginning of the season.

Plant Protection Service35 Efficacy of BTH on induced E.a. infections Efficacy of BTH on E.a. infections at different time of application

Plant Protection Service36 Guidelines: bud break  Field Surveys Orchard monitoring to verify canker activity Organ affected should be removed and burned  Chemical sprays 1-2 copper sprays ( Cu g/hl)  Agricultural practices Avoid nitrogen fertilization Irrigation allowed

Plant Protection Service37 Guidelines: blossom to petal fall  Field Surveys Orchard monitoring to spot symtoms on flowers  Chemical sprays Follow extension service’s recommendations (forecasting models)  Agricultural practices Avoid plant growth regulators (NAA and CCC) Irrigation allowed Do not exced nitrogen dosages and application time recommended Avoid pruning

Plant Protection Service38 Guidelines: fruit set to harvest  Field Surveys Manually removing secondary flowers Orchard monitoring to verify the occurence of symptoms and remove and burn organs affected  Chemical sprays In case of storm or hail apply 1 copper spray ( Cu g/hl) before or after (within 24 hours) the disease conducive event  Agricultural practices Do not exced nitrogen dosages and application time recommended Avoid NAA application Avoid every pruning Avoid sprinkler irrigation and gradually reduce the amount of water to complete stop.

Plant Protection Service39 Guidelines: beginning to complete leaf fall  Field Surveys Constantly orchard monitoring to verify the occurence of symptoms and remove and burn organs affected  Chemical sprays apply 1 copper spray at the beginning of petal fall and another at complete petal fall ( Cu g/hl)  Agricultural practices Avoid NAA application Avoid every pruning

Plant Protection Service40 Guidelines: winter  Field Surveys orchard monitoring before every pruning to verify the occurence of symptoms and remove and burn organs affected  Chemical sprays Avoid chemical sprays  Agricultural practices Pruning allowed in dicember and january Avoid chopping pruned wood, but remove and burn it