Control of fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) and apple

scab (Venturia inaequalis) with trunk-injected

compounds and potential for precise

apple tree protection

by

Srđan Aćimović

Bert Cregg

John Wise

George Sundin

(Cartoon by Marlene Cameron)

Target-precise

Confined in a tree

Novel in tree-based agriculture

Environmentally friendly –

extremely low pesticide losses

Sprays drift 44-71%

Why trunk injection?

Outline Experiments to Improve Understanding of

Trunk Injection in Disease Control

1. Control of fire blight (Erwinia amylovora)

- Can SAR activators upregulate PR-protein genes?

3. Control of apple scab (Venturia inaequalis)

- Can we optimize injection timing?

4. Compound residues after injection

- Are fruit residues a problem?

5. Compare trunk injection technology

- Next step in injecting a lot of trees?

47.2 A

a a

40.1 AB

a a

27.3 BC

a a

29.4 BC

a a

20.8 C

b a

18.4 C

b a

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

5/22/2012 5/29/2012 6/5/2012 5/29/2012 6/5/2012

Blossoms Shoots

Blig

ht

Inci

den

ce (

%)

Date / plant organ

WIC Imajet Actigard 3 Actigard 3+3 PhosphoJet Agrymicin

2 x 260 ml/tree 2 x 10 ml 1 x 0.34 g 2 x 0.34 g 2 x 22.5 ml 2 x 1.82 g

2012 Injection on ‘Gala’: 26 March, 23 April

2. Control Fire Blight (Erwinia amylovora) - Defense Gene Expression -

* *

* *

*

*

*

*

0

5

10

15

20

25

Water InjectedControl

Actigard 3+3 Actigard 3 PhosphoJet Imajet Non-injectedControl

Treatment

Rel

ativ

e G

ene

Reg

ula

tio

n PR1

PR2

PR8

2012 Injection: 26 March 23 April

PR Protein Gene Expression - ‘Gala’ leaves, 5 April 2012 -

2013 Blossom Blight Control - ‘Gala’ Apples -

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

6/11/2013 6/18/2013 6/25/2013

Blo

sso

m b

ligh

t in

cid

ence

(%

)

WIC 72.92 a

Actigard 3 59 bc

Actigard 3+3 57.5 bc

Phosphojet 54.58 cd

Agrimycin 51.75 d

Kasumin* 49.83 d

Arborbiotic** 28.67 e

* 2 x 7.6 ml **0.31 g/ 2.5 cm

Injection: 1 and 22 May

2013 Shoot Blight Control - ‘Gala’ -

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

6/11/2013 6/18/2013 6/25/2013

Sh

oo

t B

ligh

t In

cid

ence

(%

) WIC 68.5 a

Phosphojet 52.5 b

Actigard 3 50 bc

Actigard 3+3 47.33 bcd

Agrimycin 43.5 cd

Kasumin* 39.67 d

Arborbiotic** 26.92 e

Injection: 1 and 22 May

* 2 x 7.6 ml **0.31 g/1” DFH

*

*

*

0

1

2

3

4

Water InjectedControl

(1x520 ml/tree)

Actigard 3+3(2x0.34 g/tree)

Actigard 3(1x0.34 g/tree)

Phosphojet(2x22.5 ml/tree)

Non-injectednon-inoculated

Control

Rel

ativ

e ge

ne

regu

lati

on

PR-1

PR-2

PR-8

PR Protein Gene Expression - ‘Gala’ leaves, 23 May 2013 -

Injection: 1 and 22 May

* -

*

*

*

-

*

*

*

-

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Non-injectednon-inoculated

Control

Actigard 3+3(2x0.34 g/tree)

Actigard 3(1x0.34 g/tree)

Phosphojet(2x22.5 ml/tree)

Water InjectedControl

(2x520 ml/tree)

Rel

ativ

e ge

ne

regu

lati

on

PR-1

PR-2

PR-8

PR Protein Gene Expression - ‘Gala’ leaves, 31 May 2013 -

Injection: 1 and 22 May

a

a a

a a

b b

b b b

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

5/21/2012 5/28/2012 6/4/2012 6/11/2012 6/18/2012

Sho

ot

Blig

ht

Seve

rity

(%

)

Date

WIC Arborbiotic

2012 - Shoot blight control with oxytetracycline - ‘Jonathan’ -

2.52 ml water / 1” DFH 0.28 g/ 1” DFH

81.9 A

50.9 A

60.8 BC

22.8 CD

47.7 C

18.5 D

53.5 C

18.4 D

16.7 D

20.6 CD

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

5/4/2012Day 1

5/18/2012Day 15

5/4/2012Day 1

5/18/2012Day 15

6/14/2012Day 42

8/17/2012Day 106

Spurs Shoots

Ap

ple

sca

b in

cid

ence

(%

)

WTC PhJetL PhJetH Prophyt SpraySTD*

WIC PhJet 2.59 ml/1” DFH PhJet 5.17 ml/1” DFH Prophyt 2.18 ml/ 1” DFH Spray EBDC

3. Control of apple scab (Venturia inaequalis) - Spring Injections 2012, ‘Red Delicious’ -

Injection dates 21 March (green cluster) 20 April 25 May 22 June

55.7 A 63.3 A

21.6 B

34.0 C

19.7 B

27.8 CD

15.0 B

21.3 DE

6.6 C

18.8 E

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

6/13/2013 7/3/2013 6/13/2013 7/3/2013 7/30/2013 8/26/2013

Spurs Shoots

Ap

ple

sca

b in

cid

ence

(%

)

WTC Prophyt PhJetL PhJetH Spray STD

WIC Prophyt 2.18 ml/ 1” DFH PhJet 2.59 ml/1" DFH PhJet 5.17 ml/1" DFH Spray EBDC

Same Trees, No Additional Injection/s - ‘Red Delicious’, 2013 -

72.2 A 54.0 A

15.5 E

20.0 D

47.8 CD

16.7 DE

39.3 D

14.3 E

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

5/1/2012Day 1

5/16/2012Day 16

5/1/2012Day 1

5/16/2012Day 16

6/13/2012Day 44

8/15/2012Day 107

Spurs Shoots

Ap

ple

sca

b in

cid

ence

[%

]

Date/days/plant organ

WIC

Spray EBDC

PhJet 2.59 ml/1" DFH

PhJet 5.17 ml/1" DFH

Injection dates 15 October 2011 11 April 2012 (bloom) 11 May 2012 8 June 2012

Control of apple scab (Venturia inaequalis) - Fall + Spring Injections, ‘Mac Spur’ -

Control of apple scab (Venturia inaequalis) - Fall + Spring Injections, ‘Mac Spur’ -

72.2 A 54.0 A

59.8 B

30.3 B

52.5 BC

26.2 C

15.5 E

20.0 B

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

5/1/2012Day 1

5/16/2012Day 16

5/1/2012Day 1

5/16/2012Day 16

6/13/2012Day 44

8/15/2012Day 107

Spurs Shoots

Ap

ple

Sca

b In

cid

ence

(%

)

Date/days/plant organ

WIC Alamo 8.3 ml/1" DFH Alamo 16.6 ml/1" DFH Spray EBDC

15 October 2011 11 April 2012 (bloom) 11 May 2012 8 June 2012

* *

*

*

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

4/10/2012 4/24/2012 5/9/2012 5/23/2012 6/6/2012 6/19/2012 7/3/2012

Phosphoro

us a

cid

ppm

WIC

Phosphojet 1

Phosphojet 2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

4/10/2012 4/24/2012 5/9/2012 5/23/2012 6/6/2012 6/19/2012 7/3/2012

Pro

pic

onazole

ppm

Alamo 2

Alamo 1

2.59 ml

5.17 ml

16.6 ml

8.3 ml

Low Koc 228-578 ml/g High water solubility 500 g/L (acid 3100 g/L)

Moderate to high Koc 300-1800 ml/g Moderate water solubility 100-150 mg/L

Leaf Residues - Fall + Spring Injections, ‘Mac Spur’ -

Mauget pressurized capsules

Wedgle Direct Inject System

ChemJet spring syringes

Tree IV

Bite infusion

Quik-Jet

Viper Air-Hydraulic

BRANDT enTREE Mauget

Trunk Injection Technology Comparison

Treatments with Inspire Super® - apple scab:

QuikJet 7 ml/tree

ViperAH 7 ml/tree

Tree IV 7 ml/tree

Bite 7 ml/tree

ChemJet 7 ml/tree

Mauget 7 ml/tree

Wedgle 7 ml/tree

Inspire Super spray

EBDC standard spray

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

5/1/2012Day 1

5/17/2012Day 17

6/13/2012Day 45

8/16/2012Day 110

Shoots

Apple

Scab Incid

ence (

%)

Control WIC Bite QuikJet Mauget ViperAH ChemJet Wedgle TreeIV Spray STD* SprayS

Injection Technology Comparison - Apple Scab Control - Injected Inspire Super, 7 ml / tree -

Trunk Injection Ports Closure

Drilled Lenticular

Injection Port Closure Over Time

0.93 C

6.19 A 2.56 B 2.94 BC

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

4/14/2012 7/20/2012 4/14/2013 7/20/2013 4/14/2012 7/20/2012 4/14/2013 7/20/2013

Horizontal Vertical

Size

(m

m)

Date / dimension

Blade (1 x 28 mm lenticular port)

3/8" Drill bit (9.5 mm) + Arborplug no. 4

3/8" Drill bit (9.5 mm)

11/64" Drill bit (4.4 mm)

7.64 A 4.9 B 7.25 AB 1.99 C

A.L. Rogers Endowed Research Scholarship by Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics Program

at MSU

Acknowledgements