Peach leaf curl is a fungal disease that affects peach trees, causing deformed leaves and reduced productivity. This article from the “WORLD OF PLANTS” website discusses methods of preventing and controlling this disease.
Peach leaf curl family
Name of the disease: Wrinkling of peach leaves
Scientific name: Taphrina deformans
Peaches are one of the economically important almond trees in Jordan that are widely spread. The area planted with them in 1986 amounted to about ten thousand dunums, and this area increases year after year. Curling disease is one of the fungal diseases that affect peaches in Jordan. This disease has been observed in all peach-growing areas. In the Kingdom, it is found frequently in humid rain-fed areas. The hosts of this fungus are also nectarines, almonds, some ornamental plants, plums, and apricots.
Symptoms of peach leaf curl
Symptoms appear on newly growing leaves and branches at the beginning of the spring, as the fungus directly penetrates the host’s tissues, and the infected leaves are red in color, thick, wrinkled, and brittle, and break easily. They are also observed around the middle vein downward (as shown in the picture), and a group of hollow wrinkles appear on their lower surface. Resulting from tissue irritation due to fungal infection, as in the picture below. These symptoms are accompanied by a change in color from pale green to red and brown. The upper surface of the infected leaves acquires a bright silver color as a result of rupture of the peel and the appearance of bacterial cysts. Fresh, tender leaves are the most susceptible to infection. If a late infection occurs, do not It greatly affects the leaves and may affect half the surface of the leaf or the entire leaf. When the infection is severe, the leaves fall off early and this leads to the weakness of the tree. The infection extends to the newly growing branches, becoming pale green in color and reduced in size, and may include bearing fruits. If the fruits are infected, corky wrinkles appear on them. Irregular, light brown in color, which causes the fruits to deform, atrophy, and fall before maturity.
Causes of peach leaves curling
This disease is caused by the fungus Taphrina deformans, which is a member of the Ascomycete fungus
Conditions suitable for the spread of the disease
The development of the disease suits the cool, humid climate, and the appropriate temperature for it ranges from 12 to 20 C. The severity of the infection increases at the beginning of spring, and the susceptibility of tissues to infection at this time is great. The fungus causes the meristematic cells to rapidly increase in branching at the edges of the leaf, which leads to wrinkling and deformation. After these leaves grow old, the infection recedes, even in the presence of rain.
Development cycle of peach leaf curl
It spends the winter hibernation period in the bark of tender branches and between the scales of dormant buds in the form of mycelium or ascospores inside the fruit sacs, so that within each bag there are eight latent ascospores. The fungus spends the winter on the surface of the buds and tender branches, and in the humid weather these spores mature and become ready at a time when the buds have swollen and opened. The overwintering stage is (spores), then ascospores are formed, then spores are formed by budding and hide in cracks in the bark and buds. At the beginning of spring, dormant buds open. Rainfall and low temperature help in the germination of the latent ascomy spores that infect the newly growing leaves. The growth of fungal hyphae is activated between the infected tissue cells, and a layer of fruiting sacs is formed under the epidermis. They mature, explode, and are spread by the wind to the healthy leaves, and a new infection occurs. .
Peach leaf curl propagation losses
It infects trees, causing the leaves to curl and fall early, which weakens new growth and also leads to the growth of new branches during the season, which stresses the trees, reduces their vitality and production, and thus exacerbates their deficit year after year.
Strategy to combat peach leaf curl
Preventive measures to prevent the occurrence of the disease: Preventing the disease is one of the most important factors in combating it. It is relatively common to perform two well-timed treatments during a plant's physiological growth period. The first treatment process is carried out before the buds emerge, while the second is carried out near the buds emerge.
Recommendations for organic and chemical control of peach leaf curl disease
- Thin the fruits and use appropriate irrigation and fertilization.
- Planting resistant varieties such as Red Haven compared to Redskin.
- Pruning trees during the dormant period of the sap, before the buds open, and taking the pruned branches out of the field and burning them to reduce the severity of the infection, as the fungus spends the winter period in the bark of the tender, newly growing branches.
- Preventive spraying, where the trees are sprayed once or twice during the season, at a rate of once every two weeks, using one of the fungicides such as: Trimaltox, Kosid, Polyram, Combi, Daconil, Intracolau, sulfur, Bordeaux mixture, Ferbam, Ethaboxam, or Bravo, as follows:
- First sprayIt is done immediately after pruning and two weeks before the buds open. Fungicides are used in this spray, to which a winter oil has been added, in order to eliminate the threads of the disease and its latent germs. It is best to spray the trees before the buds swell.
- Second spray: It is at the beginning of the spring, when dormant buds have fully opened and newly-grown leaves have appeared. One of the fungicides mentioned above is used in this spray.
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