Evaluation of Biorational Products and Antibiotics for the Control of Fire Blight of Apple in Michigan, 2024

Fire blight, caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, is a devastating disease of pome fruit throughout the world. E. amylovora can infect blossoms and shoots, leading to production losses, and its systemic movement can ultimately result in tree death. This trial evaluates the effectiveness of biopesticides, antibiotics, and systemic acquired resistance (SAR) inducers for the control of blossom blight in apples. This trial was conducted in Michigan during the spring of 2024 in a 10-year-old block of Buckeye Gala trees on M106 rootstocks. The results aim to inform both conventional and organic growers on potential treatment strategies that may supplement antibiotic use for effective disease control.