Pest and Diseases - PlantNet®

Pests and diseases can occur in backyard fruit trees. PlantNet does what it can to minimise soil borne pest and disease susceptibility in the backyard by utilising the best rootstocks available for our varieties.

Pests and diseases can quite often be localised to a particular area and is also dependent on each growing season.

PlantNet recommends that if a problem occurs on your fruit tree, you take a sample to your local nursery so they can analyse it and advise you on the best treatment. Remember that your local nursery is licensed to sell most chemical control treatments to help you solve your pest and disease issues but don't forget there are also organic and eco-friendly treatments available too.

We also recommend you join the Graham Ross' Garden Clinic Club to reap the benefits of the Club including the Garden Clinic Help Line which will have a qualified horticulturist ready to answer your questions.

Pinkabelle^® and Leprechaun^TM

PEST/DISEASE	DISCRIPTION	TREATMENT

Apple Dimpling Bug	Greenish/Brown. 3mm long	Spray 10grms of soap in 1Litre of waterevery 3 days during pink flowering to petal fall and early fruit set (all states)
Codling Moth	Adult grey/Brown, wing span 12-19mm. Larvae has a black head and is 10-15mm long. Damage can occur from fruit set to the fruit harvested shows as small holes on surface.	Pheromone traps can be used to monitor numbers of male moths (refer to manufacturers for instructions.) Links greenharvest.com.au Bugs for Bugs EE Muir & Sons Bioglobal Limited If damage gets over .3% spray with Biological Products such as Spinosad.
Light Brown Apple Moth	Young larvae are pale and 1-2mm long, rare to see the adult moth. Damage can occur from fruit set to harvest and shows as small holes on the fruit surface	Pheromone traps can be used to monitor male moths (refer to manufacturers for instructions) Links greenharvest.com.au Bugs for Bugs Always spray larvae when young for best results. If damage gets over .3%, spray with Biological Products such as Spinosad
Queensland Fruit Fly	Adult is red, brown and yellow. Larvae are white maggots. Damage to the fruit is seen as sunken pin pricks slowly going soft as fruit matures.Damage may occur from early fruit maturity. (QLD/NSW).	Male attractant bait traps, also baiting with protein based Products to attract male and female fly’s. Link Bugs for Bugs Start baiting and trapping at half maturity. Bait weekly through to harvest (In dry climates the bait application can be spread to two weeks, maybe more if trap numbers are less than one fly per week). Refer to manufacturer’s instructions for baiting. For VIC monitor with traps only and refer to Department of Agriculture for advice if fly numbers are high. Natural remedies worth trying are Vegemite in a trap or fruit juice in a trap. For trap construction try. Links Gardening Australia Bugs for Bugs Exclusion netting can also be used, no bigger than 2mm holes.
Mites	Small insects that sometimes can only be seen with a magnifying glass. Three species (Two Spotted Mite, European Red Mite, and Bryobia Mite) Depending on where you are in Australia may depend on which species you have. These insects damage the leaves of plants. Some of them are found underneath the leaf some on the upper surface of the leaf. Damage is seen as discolouration of the leaf surface.	They have natural predators and these can be purchased from predatory Insect breeders. Link Bugs for Bugs Mites can become uncontrollable if insecticides used for other pests are over used. Try 100grms of chopped garlic, 2teaspoons of vegetable oil, 2teaspoons Of detergent in 500mls of water. {Link www.figtree.org.au }
Plague Thrips Western Flower Thrips	Hard to see with the human eye. Adult femal is about 1.1-1.3mm long and infest flowers. Adult female is 1.4-1.8mm long and will start in the flower but will also dmage young fruitlets	It is importatnt to treat the flowering stage. A Natural Remedy to try is for moth larvae,mites,and thrips is: 100grms chopped garlic 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil 2 teaspoons of dishwashing detergent 500mis of water
San Jose scale	Adult female is yeallow concealed by a grey/brown scale. It attaches to bark and branches on trees and sometimes fruit	Thee best control is one application at dormancy of Paraffin oil (manufactured for Horticulture) or soap based product to smother scale. predatory insects are also available. Link Bugs for Bugs.
Alternaria Disease	Early signs are purple lesions later turning to brown. More common in QLD.	Maintain a healthy tree, this is very important. It is very important to plant trees where there is good air movement so lower humidity. Fungal diseases will thrive in higher humidity. As with apple scab below it is important to do one copper oxychloride or copper hydroxide spray as soon as trees lose their leaves in the winter. Control of apple scab and Alternaria disease through summertime can be done with Mancozeb fungicide. Many home remedies do not have much success with fungal diseases but it is worth checking the links mentioned above.
Apple Scab	Young leaves show infection as velvety green spores that turn black with age.	Remove all leaves from around tree after leaf fall. Use the same information as for Alternaria for control.

Peaches, Nectarines, Plums and Apricots

PEST/DISEASE

DISCRIPTION

TREATMENT

Queensland Fruit Fly

Adult is red,brown and yellow

Damage is seen as sunken pin pricks on the fruit slowly going soft as fruit matures.

Damage may occur from early fruit maturity. (QLD, NSW)

Start baiting and trapping at half maturity. Bait weekly through to harvest (in dry climates the bait application can be spread to two weeks maybe more if trap numbers are less than one fly per week). Refer to manufacturer’s instructions for baiting. links Bugs for Bugs. For VIC monitor with traps only and refer to Department of Agriculture for advice if fly numbers are high.

Natural remedies worth trying are Vegemite in a trap or fruit juice in a trap. For trap construction try,

link Gardening Australia

Exclusion netting can also be used, no bigger than 2mm holes.

Mites

Small insects that sometimes can only be seen with a magnifying glass. The most common in stonefruit is the two spotted mite, these insects damage the leaves of plants. They are found on the back of the leaf surface.

Damage is seen as discolouration of the leaf surface.

They have natural predators and these can be purchased from predatory insect breeders.

Link Bugs for Bugs

Mites can become uncontrollable if insecticides used for other pests are over used.

Try 100grms of chopped garlic, 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons of detergent in 500mls of water

link www.figtree.org.au

Plague Thrips

Western Flower Thrips

Hard to see with the human eye. Adult female is about 1.1-1.3mm long and infests flowers.

Adult female is 1.4-1.8mm long and will damage flower, but will also damage young fruitlets.

It is important to treat the flowering stage.

Try the mixture as for mites above to control them.

Green and Black Peach Aphid

Small insects 1.5mm-3mm long that manifest flower buds and new growth.

Damage may be seen as distorted growing tips.

Try mixture as per Mites and thrips, only if Aphids are found.

Monolepta Beetle (Red Shouldered leaf beetle)

7mm long, yellow with a red spot on each wing, tend to travel in large numbers. At its worst in warmer climates.

Damage is seen as fruit being chewed.

Individual beetles can be squashed by hand if seen.

Try mixture as per Mites and thrips, only if Aphids are found.

Orange fruit borer

Codling Moth

Oriental Fruit Moth

Larvae are brown on top, light grey underneath, 24mm long with a dark brown head and brown stripes along the length of the body.

Larvae have a black head and are 10-15mm long.

Small white larvae. Damage is seen on new growing tips where eggs are layed and larvae bores into the tip causing it to wilt and die.

Try 100grms of chopped garlic, 2teaspoons of vegetable, 2teaspoons of detergent in 500mls of water. Use on all three of the above larvae.

Link www.greenharvest.com.au

EE Muir & Sons

Bioglobal Limited

AS ABOVE

San Jose scale

White Peach Scale

Female is yellow concealed by a grey/brown scale. I attaches itself to bark and branches on trees and sometimes fruit. Scale can kill limbs and trees if left uncontrolled.

Much smaller than San Jose Scale, almost like white dust on the trees bark when first seen. Can kill limbs on trees much quicker than San Jose Scale.

Both scales are best controlled with one spray of paraffin oil (manufactured for Horticulture) at the dormancy stage.

Rust

Shot Hole

Curly Leaf

Small yellow pinhead sized spots on the upper leaf surface.

Starts off as small purple spots on the leaf surface turning gradually to brown and then dropping at showing a "shothole".

As new shoots come after dormacy they will show as curled and blistered leaves.

Best control for Rust, Shothole and Curly leaf is a copper spray (copper Hydroxide or copper oxychloride) at leaf drop and at mid dormancy.

Control of Rust and Shot Hole through summertime can be done with Mancozeb fungicide.

Best control is a copper spray (copper Hydroxide or copper oxychloride) at dormacy and 1 spray at budswell.

Brown Rot

Starts as a small grey to brown spot and as fruit matures will increase in size.

Best control is a copper spray (copper Hydroxide or copper oxychloride) at dormacy and 1 spray at budswell.