What is Fire Blight?
Fire Blight is a bacterial disease for which there is no single effective treatment. Hosts of Fire Blight include apple, pear, loquat, quince, cotoneaster, hawthorn. photinia, pyracantha and some other ornamental plants. Fire Blight seriously effects fruit production worldwide and is present in North America, UK, Europe, Middle East, New Zealand.
What does Fire Blight look like?
Disease symptoms include:
- brown wilting of blossoms, shoots and leaves with a scorched appearance;
- discoloured sunken areas or cankers on branches, limbs and trunks;
- production of bacterial ooze in warm, humid weather;
- red brown discolouration of the sapwood.
How Does Fire Blight Infect Plants?
Plants can become infected-
- though blossoms where the bacteria is transported by bees during pollination;
- though surface injuries caused by insect feeding, hail or mechanical damage.
If You See Symptoms Which Look Like Fire Blight:
Contact the DPI Customer Service Centre on 13 61 86.
Fire Blight Related Resources
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (external link) | Twig blight symptom on Rome Beauty apple.
Characteristic brown leaves of advanced
blossom blight on English hawthorn. |
