Damaged Pear (Magness) - Ask Extension
I have enclosed 2 photos of damaged pears on our fruit tree. One has brown ruts/ridges. One has an orange colored fuzz on it.
I had found a similar r...
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Damaged Pear (Magness) #876774
Asked July 11, 2024, 1:51 AM EDT
I have enclosed 2 photos of damaged pears on our fruit tree. One has brown ruts/ridges. One has an orange colored fuzz on it.
I had found a similar ridged one last year even though we had our first good harvest last year. The number of pears on the tree is much less this year. We did see some deer damage on the trunk; but the leaves look ok.
Note that we used to have other stone fruit trees on the same land and lost all of them to either transplant shock or fungal disease. We have since learnt that we need to spray fungicide for the stone fruit.
Is the peach also susceptible to fungal diseases - is the orange fuzz a fungal issue?
Frederick County Maryland
Expert Response
The orange growths are fungal, yes: a very common disease called rust (specifically, potentially Cedar-Quince Rust, though the exact rust type doesn't matter much in this case). The damage to the other fruit pictured is harder to diagnose, but might be pear scab (a different fungal disease), drought damage, or both overlapping. Pears, like their apple cousins, are susceptible to a variety of diseases and pests, as are stone fruits. Preventative treatments with certain insecticides and fungicides every year are usually necessary to protect long-term tree health as well as the harvest. (You can opt to use organic pesticides if you prefer, but overall they tend to be less effective and might require more frequent application. As it is, several applications will be needed yearly regardless of the exact products used.) Our Growing Apple and Pear Trees web page provides more information and links to Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Pest Management Guide publication, which outlines the common ailments and how to preventatively treat for them.
Our Watering Trees and Shrubs page provides guidance on how and when to water to minimize drought stress. Most of the state is currently in drought status, and fruit trees need a regular supply of moisture in order to ripen fruit and form buds for next year's flowers and foliage.
Fluctuating harvest abundance from year to year could be due to a variety of factors, including: soil moisture, if/when/how the tree was pruned in the past year, if the fruits were thinned earlier this season (excess fruits removed so the remaining fruits get all the resources they need), if pollination was sufficient (cool and rainy weather can minimize bee activity), if the tree is still establishing (has been in the ground less than 3 years), and if any pest and disease interference caused young fruits to abort development.
Since fungicides cannot cure existing disease, all fruits with the rust symptoms and bad cracking will need to be removed (or collected and disposed of if they have fallen off). Monitor the tree for watering needs going forward, but little else can be done this far into the growing season (check the Pest Management Guide, though). If you haven't already, protect the trunk from future deer antler rubbing, as this can cause serious and sometimes fatal damage that will not be treatable.
Miri
Our Watering Trees and Shrubs page provides guidance on how and when to water to minimize drought stress. Most of the state is currently in drought status, and fruit trees need a regular supply of moisture in order to ripen fruit and form buds for next year's flowers and foliage.
Fluctuating harvest abundance from year to year could be due to a variety of factors, including: soil moisture, if/when/how the tree was pruned in the past year, if the fruits were thinned earlier this season (excess fruits removed so the remaining fruits get all the resources they need), if pollination was sufficient (cool and rainy weather can minimize bee activity), if the tree is still establishing (has been in the ground less than 3 years), and if any pest and disease interference caused young fruits to abort development.
Since fungicides cannot cure existing disease, all fruits with the rust symptoms and bad cracking will need to be removed (or collected and disposed of if they have fallen off). Monitor the tree for watering needs going forward, but little else can be done this far into the growing season (check the Pest Management Guide, though). If you haven't already, protect the trunk from future deer antler rubbing, as this can cause serious and sometimes fatal damage that will not be treatable.
Miri
Thanks for the detailed response.
Girija
You're welcome.
