Citrus Canker

<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tr><td><p> </p></td></tr></table><table dir="ltr" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tr><td valign="top"><div align="left"><table border="0" width="94%"><tr><td width="100%"><h1><font size="5"><span style="font-family: Arial"> Citrus Canker<i><b> </b></i></span></font></h1><p class="MsoNormal">Name:  Xanthomonas axonopodis pathovar citri</p><p class="MsoNormal">Type:    Air Borne Bacterium  probably mutated from soil bacterium</p><p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial">Effects all citrus crops.</span></p><p><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial"><font size="3">Symptoms: </font></span></i></b></p><ol><li><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Arial">small round blister formations (lesions) form around 7 to 14 days after infection occures.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Arial">appear on fruit leaves and or on branches of infected plants.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Arial">as lesions mature, the outer layer of the plant tissue ruptures, producing a craterlike spot lined with tan colored tissue that is sometimes surrounded by oily water-soaked margin and a yellow ring that looks like a halo.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Arial">On the fruit, lesions appear scab like or corky.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Arial">On leaves, old lesions will sometimes fall out, leaving behind a scattering of round holes.</span></li></ol><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><font size="3"><span style="font-family: Arial">S</span></font><span style="font-family: Arial"><font size="3">trains:</font></span></i></b></o:p> </p><ol><li><font size="3"><span style="font-family: Arial"><i><b>A  strain<br>      </b></i>Affects members of the plant family Rutacceae, including most citrus species and hybrids especially grapefruit, lime, sweet lime, and trifoliate orange.</span></font></li><li><font size="3"><span style="font-family: Arial"><i><b>B strain<br>    </b></i> Affects lemons in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. As well as Mexican or key lime, sour orange, Rangpur  lime, sweet lime, citron, and occasionally sweet orange and mandarin orange can also be affected.</span></font></li><li><font size="3"><span style="font-family: Arial"><i><b>C strain<br>     </b></i>Affects only Mexican lime growing in brazil.</span></font></li></ol><p><font size="3"><span style="font-family: Arial">Current strain effecting U.S. infestations is the <b><i>A</i></b> strain.</span></font></p><p><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial"><font size="3">Infection conditions:</font></span></i></b></p><ol><li><p class="MsoNormal">High temperature and high moisture conditions.<br>conditions are best when heavy rains occur during temperatures higher then 68 degrees F.</li><li><p class="MsoNormal">Over head irrigation during high temperature days and nights</li><li><p class="MsoNormal">Trace mineral deficiencies especially calcium</li><li><p class="MsoNormal">High nitrogen fertilizers<br>contribute to high stress and dead soil<br>high stress in plants<br>reduction in mineral intake from root systems</li><li><p class="MsoNormal">Reduction on over all health of plant<br>sudden stress<br>improper fertilization<br>improper irrigation<br>dead soil conditions</li></ol><p><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial"><font size="3">Spread conditions:</font></span></i></b></p><ol><li><p class="MsoNormal">Contact with infected plant:<br>Contact can be through:<br>Insects<br>Birds<br>Animal and human contact<br>Human contact<br>Human movement from plant to plant contact with hands, gloves, shoes, cutting tools,</li><li><p class="MsoNormal">Movement of infested plant materials, plants, seeds, fruit are the primary means of spreading the canker pathogen over larger distances. </li><li><p class="MsoNormal">Contaminated clothing, tools, packing boxes, and other items associated with harvesting and post harvest of fruit are also potential sources of infestation.</li><li><p class="MsoNormal">High winds especially during rain will help spread this disease over short distances.</li><li><p class="MsoNormal">Canker bacteria survive and multiply primarily in naturally occurring lesions.<br>bacteria may also survive in crevices in the bark tissues of citrus trees.</li><li><p class="MsoNormal">highly stressed plants</li></ol><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial">Citrus are highly resilient fruit trees, but they are also host to many plant pathogens and insect pests. The magnitude of damage these pests can cause depends in part on the susceptibility (state of health) of the fruit tree; therefore maintaining tree health is important.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial"><b><font size="3">General Tree Care</font></b></span></p><ol><li>Maintain good health by providing a source of compost, </li><li>A good source of rock dust for minerals is also important, </li><li>Regular watering (drip system is best), once per month min, weekly is best.</li><li>Avoid stressing the trees. Mulching will help maintain constant soil temperatures year round.</li><li>For more details on tree care see <a href="../treehelp.htm">Natural Tree Pest Control Steps</a></li></ol><p> </p><h3><i>Specific treatments and prevention:</i></h3><p>In short a specific treatment is of regular spraying of a compost/rock dust tea. The bacteria in the compost tea will react with the minerals in the rock dust to produce a specific product that when sprayed directly onto the lesions in infected trees, will reduce and eliminate the disease. Healthy Citrus Trees can also be inoculated by spraying them regularly with the compost/rock dust tea . This will prevent any disease from spreading or establishing themselves on uninfected citrus  trees Any infected trees should be sprayed the compost/rock dust tea on a regular bases, monthly or weekly as needed. Should be done especially after a rain to prevent spreading.</p><b><font color="#0000FF">Suggested Spraying #1<br>           Compost Tea<br></font><font color="#000000">             </font></b><font color="#000000">In 5 gallons clean (use filtered or rain water when ever possible for sprays) water place compost tea bag made of 1 part compost and 1 part rock dust added to a panty hose and tied into a "tea bag". Add 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup molasses per 5 gallons water. Suspend this Tea bag into the 5 gallons clean vinegar/molasses water and allow to sit over night.   Compost should be mineral rich so make sure you add rock dust to the compost.<br></font><br><br><font color="#0000FF"><b>Suggested Spraying #2</b></font><br>          1 cup Nitron A-35 (enzyme)<br>          1 cup Agri-Gro  (enzyme)<br>          1 cup Cal Agri-Gro (a natural calcium source)<br>          1 cup Milk (calcium and bacteria)<br>          1 cup Vinegar (fermented product)<br>          5 gallons Mineral Tea (1/4 cup Rock Dust pre soaked in panty hose tea bag in 5 gallon clean or filtered water).<br>          1 cup fish emulsion without urea<br>Mix well together. Spray leaves and soak trunk, as well as soak ground around tree. Use this mixture to help raise energy level of tree. The formula is suggested, you may substitute products which you feel are close or similar to the products I suggest. You should expect differences in results depending on the effectiveness of the products you choice to you.<br><br><font color="#000000"><br></font><b><font color="#0000FF">Suggested Mixture #3<br>           Manure Tea<br>            </font></b><font color="#000000">Manure tea is a stronger version of the above compost tea. By adding rock dust to the manure and spraying this liquid bacterial liquid on the leaves and trunk and soaking the soil around the tree, the manure bacteria will help to counter act the bacteria attacking the tree.</font><b><font color="#0000FF"><br></font></b><font color="#000000"><br>            Compost tea or Manure Tea will produce a minerally rich and bacterially rich spray which can be applied to the affected areas of the tree. Especially trunk area and on any open tree lesions.</font> <ol><li>Install Tree vents and  compost or manure and rock dust in each vent (apprx 2 lbs per vent)  if possible  if  not apply through deep root feeder (make a tea from 1 cup in 1 gallon clean water)), apply  several times per month at first then monthly until results are achieved. </li><li>Install drip system  if possible </li><li>Install 3/4 gallon Ez-Gro unit to drip system.</li><li>Attach drip to tree vents</li><li>The key to protecting citrus from being attacked with this problem is to insure that they are getting all the minerals that they need for proper growth. This is best done through foliar applications coupled with soil applications.  It is important to apply minerals in a form that can be absorbed without toxic effects or causing stress. </li></ol><p>If you are having this problem please let me know!</p><p>yours</p><p>Andy Lopez <p>This page was last up dated on 09 Aug 2006 12:59:12 -0700Saturday, December 16, 2000 12:18 AM </td></tr></table></div> </td><td valign="top" width="24"></td><td valign="top" width="1%"><p></p></td></tr></table></body>