Epidemiology and control of powdery mildew of peach and nectarine
Author: G. G. Grove
Published: 2004
Summary: The objectives of this project were: I. Develop an epidemiological-based method of timing fungicide sprays for managing peach/nectarine powdery mildew. * Investigated irrigation management as a potential means to delay the onset of peach mildew epidemics and/or reduce disease severity. * Continued large plot (on-farm) testing of oil-based weather driven peach/nectarine powdery mildew management program. *Investigated the influence of weather variables and current irrigation practices on aerial conidia populations of conidia of peach mildew fungus. *Evaluated Rotorod, volumetric, and low (Burkhard) and highefficiency (Innovatek) cyclonic air samplers for trapping propagules of S. pannosa. Evaluate the efficiency of ATV- mounted rotary impaction air samplers for detecting S. pannosa. *Perfected techniques for extraction of DNA from S. pannosa mycelia; continue investigations of primer specificity. Determined that primers developed for S. pannosa on rose cannot be used in investigations of S. pannosa on soft fruit. *Continued testing primers for cross-reaction with other powdery mildews. *Determined the peach fruit infection window through bagging experiments and/or application of PCR techniques. * Determined that nectarine fruit do not attain resistance at pit hardening II. Practical Disease Management *Continued field evaluations of various “soft” and organic fungicides for efficacy against stone fruit mildews and for effect on beneficial insects. *Continued the development and implementation of practical fungicide resistance management programs.
