Bio-control trials of Chaetomium spirale ND35 against apple canker

A new endophytic antagonistic fungus, Chaetomium spirale ND35 from Populus tomentosa, was reported. The bio-control trials of C. spirale ND35 against the Valsa Canker of apple were preliminarily investigated. The results of dual culture on PDA plate showed that C. spirale ND35 was capable of strong antagonism against Valsa ceratosperma, and for inhibiting the mycelial growth of V. ceratosperma,.the crude extract of liquid culture of corn steep powder broth was more effective than that one of malt extract broth (MEB). The results of bio-control in greenhouse and field indicated that the disease incidence of apple tree treated with C. spirale ND35 was lower significantly than that treated by other methods. The re-isolation experiment suggested that C. spirale ND35 could colonize in stems and branches of apple trees successfully, and the ND35 colonization rate of the treatment with solid wheat bran culture was higher than that of corn steep powder broth, but the field experiment result the control effect of liquid culture of C. spirale ND35 was better than that of solid culture.

Outbreak and the Reasons of Apple Valsa Canker in Yantai Apple Producing Area in 2011

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate an outbreak of apple valsa canker （Valsa ceratosperma） in Yantai apple producing area in 2011 and analyze the major causes of the disease. [Method] In May 2011, 21 commercial apple or-chards in Qixia, Haiyang and Laiyang were selected to investigate the outbreak of applevalsa canker. [Result]The results showed that apple canker occurred seriously in Yantai apple producing area in 2011. The ratio of diseased plants with new canker scars was 68.20% and the ratio of dead plants infected with Valsa cer-atosperma was 2.76%. The average ratios of diseased branches and one-year-old dead branches were 23.98% and 10.74%, respectively. The percentage of orchards with more than 50% diseased plants accounted for 25%-30% of the total number of orchards investigated, and the overal prevalence situation was more serious than normal years. In the investigation, 967 new canker scars were observed, with an average of 2.32 canker scars per plant. Specifical y, 80.04% canker scars were de-veloped from pruning wounds; 60.29% canker scars were developed from previous scars. [Conclusion] The long-period precipitation in the autumn of 2010, low temper-ature in the winter of 2010 and the severe drought in the spring of 2011 might be the major factors causing the outbreak of apple valsa canker in Yantai apple pro-ducing area in 2011. Pruning wounds were the main infection entrances of V. cer-atosperma, and the recurrence in previous scars was the main reason for the out-break of apple canker in spring.