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Treating cherry moniliosis is quite difficult, especially in the later stages of the disease. The danger of this fungal infection also lies in the fact that it quickly spreads to neighboring fruit trees. In the end, you can lose about a third of the entire crop if you do not start treating cherries in time.
What is this cherry disease “moniliosis”
Moniliosis (monilial burn) is one of the most dangerous diseases of stone fruit crops, which is caused by the fungus Monilia cinerea. The infection was most widespread in the European part of Our Country and in Western Siberia.
Infection occurs in spring during flowering, when spores of the fungus fall on cherry flowers. They penetrate into the pistil and germinate there, hitting the conductive vessels and spreading along the shoot, which leads to the gradual drying of the tree. If the spores of the fungus remain on the cherry in autumn, they will overwinter in mummified fruits and dried branches. In the spring, the moniliosis fungus is activated again and will give rise to a new round of infection.
Signs of damage to the cherry moniliosis
It is very important to start the treatment of a monilial cherry burn in time – the easiest way is to get rid of the fungus in the first stages of the disease. You can determine the beginning of the lesion by the following signs:
- leaves rapidly turn yellow and fall off;
- the fruits stop developing, their skin darkens;
- the pulp begins to taste bitter;
- a grayish coating appears on the shoots;
- leaf plates are also covered with light gray growths;
- flowers dry up;
- berries begin to rot and crumble.
As a rule, the first signs of moniliosis appear 1-2 weeks after the start of flowering.
Why cherries get moniliosis
Most often, moniliosis affects cherries, which are planted with serious violations of agricultural technology:
- the tree is located in a lowland where excess water accumulates;
- plantings are too dense;
- the groundwater level is too high, etc.
In addition, the spread of the fungus is facilitated by prolonged rains at a fairly warm air temperature of 15-22 ° C.
Also, the likelihood of infection with moniliosis increases the mechanical damage to the tree. Fungal infection spores can enter plant tissues through untreated cuts made during pruning or wounds left by insects.
Can felt cherries get moniliosis
Felt cherry is not immune to moniliosis, and therefore often gets sick with this fungus. The thermophilicity of felt varieties contributes to the extensive defeat of plantings – high humidity in a warm climate is an ideal environment for the spread of infection. Over a few years, moniliosis can deplete felt cherries to the point where the tree eventually dies.
How to cure cherries from moniliosis
Cherry moniliosis behaves quite aggressively and quickly captures new territories, so the treatment of the disease is carried out in a complex manner. Chemical and biological agents alone are not enough – they additionally carry out sanitary pruning of cherry trees, hilling the near-trunk circle, cleaning foliage in the fall, etc. In other words, spraying plantings is combined with various agricultural practices.
How to deal with cherry moniliosis folk remedies
Folk methods of dealing with moniliosis include liming the trunk of a cherry in late autumn and spraying with an iodine solution. The recommended dosage of the product is 10 ml per 10 liters of water. The resulting mixture is thoroughly stirred and the tree is treated with it about 20-25 days before harvest. Later planting treatments are prohibited, as the fruits can absorb a large concentration of iodine.
Young cherry seedlings are best treated for moniliosis with this solution in the spring.
Re-spraying is carried out after 4-5 days
Fight against cherry moniliosis with biological products
Biological preparations are more effective than folk remedies, however, they are still inferior in strength to industrial chemicals. On the other hand, they are much safer than the latter, so longer treatments are possible.
The following are among the most effective:
- Fitosporin-M;
- “Fitolavin”;
- “Alirin-B”.
How to save cherries from moniliosis with chemicals
Systemic chemicals cope well with moniliosis on cherries, however, they can harm plantings if the allowable dosage of the agent is exceeded. In addition, they can not be used less than a month before picking berries.
The following remedies are considered the best drugs for moniliosis:
- “Rovral”;
- “Topsin-M”;
- Horus.
How to treat monilial felt cherry burn
Moniliosis on felt cherries is fought according to the following scheme:
- First, the tree is processed “Zircon”when the buds open.
- The second procedure is carried out after flowering. Treatments with “Zircon” can be alternated with spraying with the drug “Epin-Extra”.
- In the spring, all diseased and dried branches are cut from the tree. It is necessary to remove shoots to living tissue, even with the capture of a healthy area.
- After this, the plantings are sprayed Bordeaux liquid (1%).
- Treatment is continued with preparations containing copper. Perfect for these purposes “Nitrafen” in the proportion of 200 g of the substance per 10 liters of water. You can process cherries from moniliosis both in spring and autumn.
As a prevention of moniliosis in felt cherries, fertilizers with a high content of boron, manganese and copper are applied to the soil. All rotten berries are collected and burned. You can harvest in a month.
Rules for treating cherries from moniliosis
Before proceeding directly to the treatment of cherries, it is necessary to prune the infected shoots. In the spring, the procedure is carried out until the buds open. In autumn, trees are pruned in October-November.
In order to stop the spread of moniliosis along the tree, the cut is made 10-15 cm below the place of drying. Exactly along the border of the infected area, the shoots are not cut off.
When to treat moniliosis cherries
The fight against moniliosis is carried out throughout the season. It is conditionally possible to distinguish three main stages for spraying the garden:
- in spring – before the opening of flower buds;
- in summer – after flowering, when the tree forms ovaries;
- autumn – after leaf fall.
At the time of fruiting, all work on spraying cherry trees is stopped.
How to choose drugs for cherry moniliosis
Folk methods of dealing with moniliosis can briefly stop the development of the disease only at the initial stage, as well as agricultural practices. With moderate damage, it is recommended to use biological-based preparations – they are strong enough, however, at the same time they have a gentle effect on the tree. If the moniliosis fungus has covered vast areas, only potent chemicals can help.
Personal protective measures
When working with potent chemicals and preparations of biological origin, it is important to observe the following safety rules:
- While spraying the garden, it is forbidden to eat, drink, smoke and remove protective equipment, even for a short time.
- In order to protect the mucous membranes and skin from chemical burns, it is recommended to use rubber gloves or mittens, safety shoes and a respirator. If the latter is not available, you can use cotton-gauze bandages. In extreme cases, a cotton fabric folded in several layers will do.
- After completion of all work, rubber gloves must be washed in a 3-5% solution of soda ash without removing them. You can also use milk of lime. The gloves are then rinsed in water.
How to treat cherries from moniliosis
Spraying fruit trees is best done in dry, calm weather. After processing the cherry, it should not rain for at least 2-3 hours, so that all the active ingredients have time to be absorbed into the plant fibers.
The frequency of treatments is different for each remedy – some drugs are used only once, while others are used repeatedly. The average interval between two sprays is two weeks.
The causative agent of moniliosis quickly adapts, so the chemicals are changed from time to time.
Preventive measures
A set of preventive measures against moniliosis on cherries includes the following procedures:
- Timely thinning of the crown. Thickening of the branches creates favorable conditions for the reproduction of a variety of insects, which are often carriers of the fungus.
- Avoidance of mechanical damage. If the tree was nevertheless injured, all wounds are treated with garden pitch. Do the same with the places of cuts after trimming.
- Autumn cleaning of the trunk circle. Fallen leaves are collected and burned away from the garden, and the trunk of the cherry tree is covered with whitewash.
- Regular treatment of the garden with copper sulphate. Copper prevents the spread of fungus.
- Sanitary pruning. From time to time it is worth inspecting fruit trees for damaged and dried shoots. At the first sign of damage, the branches are removed and burned.
- Periodic loosening of row-spacings and near-trunk circle. For the winter, it is recommended to dig the soil under the cherry.
Separately, it is worth noting such a preventive measure as the competent selection of a site for planting cherries. Trees should be placed on hills and flat areas, as excess moisture will inevitably accumulate in the lowlands – an ideal environment for the spread of the fungus. The groundwater level at the landing site should not be less than 1,5 m from the ground.
In addition, following the planting pattern recommended for a particular variety helps to reduce the risk of moniliosis. On average, the interval between two adjacent trees in the garden should be 3 m.
Cherry cultivars resistant to monilial scorch
The choice of a variety adapted to local climatic conditions and resistant to moniliosis will help to reduce the likelihood of disease to a minimum. In particular, the following varieties take root well in the Moscow region:
- Chocolate girl;
- Turgenevka;
- Cossack.
In the south of the country, it is recommended to plant the following species:
- Spain;
- Kharitonovskaya.
In the conditions of central Our Country, the following varieties have proven themselves well:
- Novodvorskaya;
- Živica.
Of course, these varieties do not have absolute immunity to moniliosis, however, they get sick much less often than other varieties.
Conclusion
It is not easy to treat cherry moniliosis – this is one of the most detrimental diseases for stone fruits. Already in the first year after infection, at least a third of the crop can become unusable, or even more if the disease is started. Moreover, if treatment is not started in time, the fungus will very quickly move to the nearest fruit trees: peach, apricot, cherry plum, plum, etc.
You can learn more about how to spray cherries from moniliosis from the video below:
