How to control pear pests and diseases

Pear pests, diseases, and their management are a pressing issue for gardeners. Often, several treatments are necessary per season. Viruses, fungi, and insects affect everything: the trunk, leaves, and fruit. For a more complete understanding, we recommend viewing a description of pear pests and diseases, including photos, and treatment methods.

Pear fruit diseases and treatment

Pests and pear diseases There are several ways to kill a tree in the shortest possible time. It's important to plant resistant varieties and know how to control them. Before starting treatment, it's important to correctly identify the disease based on its symptoms. Control involves proper care, preventative, systematic spraying, and timely treatment. Fruit diseases are unpleasant not only because they ruin the harvest but also because they can detract from the appearance of the garden. If fruit diseases aren't treated promptly, other green crops in close contact with the tree can become infected.

Scab

Pear trees are often susceptible to scab. It attacks the fruit and leaves. Olive-colored spots appear on the underside of the leaves. These are the spores of the fungus. The fruit begins to rot, crack, and the flesh becomes hard. When pears are affected during the developmental stage, they become distorted. Treatment is with a 1% Bordeaux mixture solution. Spray the tree when leaves and buds appear, and after the flowers have fallen. If this doesn't help, use a solution of Nitrofen, Skor, or Dnok. As a preventative measure, trim excess branches. This will allow for more ventilation and light. Fallen leaves are burned.

Fruit rot

The pathogen attacks pear fruit. Brown spots may appear. After some time, grayish growths—fungal spores—form in their place. These growths can be carried by gusts of wind and infect other fruit in the orchard. Infected fruit have rotten flesh, causing them to dry out on the vine or fall off completely. The disease spreads rapidly during the pear ripening period, in a humid and hot environment. This usually occurs in the second half of summer. Affected fruit should be collected and destroyed. In the fall and spring, spray with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture or lime milk (1 kg of the solution diluted in 10 liters of water) as a preventative measure.

Gray rot

The photo shows what leaves look like when this disease appears. Large, unbordered, brown spots form on them. If the summer is rainy and cold, the disease will also affect the fruit, which dries up and turns brown. Frequent rainfall leads to the development of gray-smoky sporulation of the fungus. The mycelium gradually dries up, and numerous small, round, black fruiting bodies form. In dry weather, the leaf spots crack and fall off, and the fruit dries up and turns brown. The disease persists on fruit, leaves, bark, and shoots. To prevent infection, it is necessary to use healthy seedlings, follow agricultural practices, collect and burn tree debris, and thin out dense plantings. Treatment involves spraying with Raek or Skor.

Sooty mold

Sometimes pear tree leaves and fruits turn black. This is most often caused by sooty mold. Young seedlings with weak immune systems and those damaged by insect pests are particularly susceptible. A good way to protect pear trees is to treat them with the insecticides Calypso or Fitoverm. These products are diluted according to the manufacturer's instructions, which are included with the products.

Pear leaf diseases and their treatment

A pear tree can completely stop bearing fruit due to foliar diseases. These diseases are caused by a variety of fungi, bacteria, and viruses. They can even kill a mature pear tree. Infected leaves cannot photosynthesize, which means the tree loses its energy, and it wilts and dies. It's important to plant disease-resistant varieties and know how to save the tree. The main method of control is preventative spraying of the pear tree.

Powdery mildew

Powdery mildew is caused by a fungus. The disease can be easily identified in early spring. Newly opened leaves have a whitish coating, which is unusual for pears. As the tree grows, the fungus develops, turning the color reddish. Leaves often fail to reach their normal size. If the disease becomes severe, they dry up and fall off. Powdery mildew develops gradually, causing leaves to fall off in the summer. As a preventative measure, you can prune the pear tree and promptly remove dead branches. Burn them.

If the disease has already developed, it is worth treating the tree:

• Fundazole or Sulfite;
• 1% solution of potassium permanganate;
• with a special mixture of 1 bucket of water, 10 g of liquid soap and 50 g of soda ash.

Rust on leaves

The disease is caused by a pathogenic fungus. As a result, raised yellow, brown, orange spots on leavesThey usually form in late April and early May. If the infestation is severe, the fruits will also become rusty. Treat with a 1% Bordeaux mixture solution or copper oxychloride. the tree is treated at the beginning of spring, then spray a second time, then after flowering ends, and a final spray 10 days later. Sometimes, the preparation Cuproxat is used (50 ml of the product per 10 liters of water).

Chlorosis

The disease manifests itself when leaves on the edges of shoots begin to turn yellow or black. They dry out. The same can happen to branches. Fruits and leaves of pears turn black due to water deficiency, excess lime in the soil, or low iron levels. The disease can completely deprive the tree of fruit. To get rid of yellow spots on leaves, use a solution of ferrous sulfate. Add 20 grams of the solution to 1 bucket of water. Antichlorizin is also used: 100 grams of the solution per 10 liters of water. This solution is poured onto the tree's roots. When the disease has also infected other plants, the soil around the trunk is dug up and doused with a solution of ferrous sulfate: 100 grams per 10 liters of water.

Brown spot

The disease manifests itself as brown spots. They are usually irregular in shape, but sometimes resemble a perfect circle. The more severe the infestation, the larger the spots become, eventually merging. Leaves turn yellow and fall prematurely. The tree itself weakens, loses resistance to low temperatures, and fails to grow bark. Foliage must be burned. Spraying with a 1% Bordeaux mixture is also recommended. It is not used during flowering, only before and after. Abiga-Peak and HOM have proven effective in controlling brown spot.

Diseases of the pear trunk and roots and their treatment

Diseases affect pear bark, roots, and skeletal branches less frequently than leaves and fruit. However, they are very dangerous, as they directly impact the tree's life. If symptoms of disease are ignored, the pear will quickly wither and the only option left is to uproot it. By correctly identifying the disease and its source, you can save the harvest and prevent the tree from dying. Diseases affecting the trunk and roots cause cracks, color changes, or changes in texture.

Black crayfish

This disease is commonly known as St. Anthony's Fire. It develops over several years. Small cracks may appear on the main branches and trunk. The bark becomes covered with wet, brown spots. These are open wounds that allow fungi, microbes, and bacteria to penetrate. These, in turn, trigger the development of diseases that destroy the harvest and the entire tree. To save the pear tree, cut out the infected areas, including the healthy bark. The cut is disinfected with copper sulfate and coated with garden pitch or a mixture of mullein and clay. Fallen leaves should be quickly removed and burned.

Cytosporosis

This disease is an infection that causes the bark of pear tree branches to dry out. The bark may not change its characteristic color, but convex gray fruiting bodies appear. If left untreated, they will begin to dry out after the buds open. This will then cause the branches and the entire tree to die back. During winter, the infection is inactive, hiding in the bark of infected branches. Cytosporosis is difficult to treat. Prevention is recommended, including following good agricultural practices, fertilizing, and proper watering. As soon as the first signs of the disease are noticed, infected branches are removed and burned. The tree is immediately treated with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture or similar products. The treatment is repeated in the spring before the leaves emerge.

Fire blight

This infection affects all parts of the pear tree above ground. It often begins with the blossoms, then the bacteria spread to the leaves, branches, trunk, and bark. Over time, the entire tree looks as if scorched by fire. In this case, treatment is pointless. The pear tree is uprooted and burned, and only in the area where it grew. Moving it within the garden is prohibited. This localizes the spread of fire blight. Successful treatment depends largely on prompt treatment. In the initial stages, copper-containing products can be used. A mixture of lime milk and a 1% copper sulfate solution is prepared.

The tree is sprayed with it 5 times throughout the summer:

• when buds appear;
• when the leaves open;
• after flowering;
• 2 weeks after the previous treatment;
• after harvesting.

Progressive disease requires radical intervention. Infected branches are pruned and the pruned areas treated with antibacterial agents. Antibiotics such as Fitosporin, Tetracycline, and Streptomycin have proven effective in treating this disease.

Pear pests and control methods

Pear trees are susceptible to numerous pests that feed on their leaves, bark, branches, and fruit. They suffer from larvae, large insects, and even subtle but damaging parasites. A comprehensive approach should be taken to prevent pests and control pear pests. Gardeners must learn to accurately identify the cause of the problem and distinguish between disease symptoms and the presence of caterpillars, mites, aphids, and other pear pests on leaves, branches, bark, and fruit.

Gall mite

An adult gall mite reaches just under 2 mm in length, making it difficult to spot. Its body is also pinkish or white. In winter, the mite hides in the bud scales, where it lays eggs. When the leaves open, they are attacked by swarms of mites. The leaves swell, and galls form. When they stick together, they form a continuous growth. After a short time, the growths crack, after which the mites move to a new, fresh location. These insects negatively affect the overall development of the fruit and tree. Effective control of gall mites on pear trees involves treatment with chlorine-containing products and organophosphorus-based preparations. These products are applied to the tree twice, with a one-month break in between.

Green aphid

These are tree pests that can completely destroy pear trees. These tiny insects reproduce quickly. They especially love young seedlings, absorbing their sap. Control begins with prevention. In the fall, remove old bark, treat the trunk with antiseptics, seal cracks with pitch, and whitewash the trunk. Before the onset of cold weather, dig up the soil around the tree. In the fall, pour hot water on the bark. This won't harm the pear tree, but it will kill aphids. In the spring, attach a sticky band to the trunk. This will help catch ants and aphids as they crawl upward. Also, use the insecticide Kinmix before budding, Agravertin before blossoming, and Iskra when fruit appears.

You can also use folk remedies for treatment:

• spraying with soap solution;
• washing the trunk and crown with cold water;
• treatment with infusion of dandelion, onion, garlic, wormwood.

Leafhopper

This insect attacks the leaves and branches of pear trees, completely covering them. Their population grows rapidly. The main sign of infestation is the presence of a liquid, sticky substance that runs down the trunk and branches. The leaves curl, revealing numerous larvae inside. They are covered in their own excrement and the skins of those who have metamorphosed into butterflies. Leaf rollers can completely ruin fruiting. If they attack, buds cannot form. To prevent leaf curling, preventative measures are necessary. In the first months of spring, remove dead areas of bark and cover these areas and the base of the main branches with a lime or chalk solution. Cracks and frost cracks are cleaned down to healthy tissue and sealed with garden pitch or a 1% copper sulfate solution. The first preventative treatments are carried out in the spring before bud break with Preparation 30. It effectively controls pests that overwinter in the bark or soil. Then, the pears are treated with Terradim, Decia, Atom, Desant, and Binom. Chemical treatments are completed after the fruit has grown.

Then only the following are allowed:

• folk remedies;
• loosening the circles around the trunk;
• weeding;
• collecting leaves with caterpillars;
• putting on trapping belts made of corrugated paper or burlap;
• hanging baits on branches.

At the end of the season, when the leaves fall, they are collected and burned.

Leaf roller

This small, sucking insect reaches 2.5 mm in length. Its body is greenish-yellow or dark green with a waxy whitish coating. The larvae are dark green and up to 0.5 mm long. They have black antennae and three pairs of black legs. In winter, shiny black eggs are laid near buds. When they open, the larvae begin to feed on the bud sap. They then move on to shoots and young leaves. Diseased leaves curl along the central vein. They accumulate a huge number of aphids, covered in sticky secretions and skins. Their development takes about two weeks, after which new larvae are born. In this way, about 15 generations of insects are born over the summer months, and eggs are laid in early autumn. With large numbers of aphids, sweet secretions flow from the surface of leaves and branches down the trunk. Shoots stop growing, buds fail to develop, and the tree's frost resistance decreases. To combat leafhoppers, spray the tree before and after flowering with products such as Iskra, Kemifos, Inta-Vir, Fufanon, and Actellic. If aphids are numerous, spray during the summer months.

If you have a pear tree in your garden, it's important to carefully monitor its condition at any time of year: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Pear trees can be susceptible to all sorts of diseases and pests, which can completely destroy them. To avoid this, focus on preventative measures. This will ensure a delicious and abundant pear harvest.