Diplocarpon mali is a fungus that mainly infects apples and that causes the disease Marssonina apple blotch. The disease usually starts very local on one or a few trees, but it can spread through the whole orchard during the same season. The infection cycles is similar to the Scab infection cycle. Infections get possible from 15°C and a leave wetness period (> 8h). The higher the temperature, the shorter the period of leave wetness necessary. However, there is still no clarity about the presence of this pathogen in Belgium, the sensitivity of the apple cultivars grown in Belgium and the efficacy of registered fungicides. Within this research project a survey will be carried out in apple orchards by taking leaf samples, but also the detection of ascospores will be included. The identification will be performed by qPCR techniques. Furthermore, also the host plant sensitivity and efficacy of fungicides will be tested.
Contact: Wendy Van Hemelrijck en Tanja Vanwalleghem (TWO-Mycologie)
Email: wendy.vanhemelrijck@pcfruit.be of tanja.vanwalleghem@pcfruit.be
Timing: 01/04/2018 -31/10/2020
Partnership: ILVO (Mevr. Martine Maes), CRA-W (Dhr. Bernard Watillon), Proefstation voor de Groententeelt (Dhr. Raf De Vis), Proefcentrum Hoogstraten (Dhr. Tom Van Delm)
Financing: FOD