Imsil-gun Advances Precision Surveillance to Prevent Spread of Fire Blight in Fruit Trees

Imsil-gun, Jeonbuk Province, is vigorously conducting detailed surveillance to prevent the spread of fire blight disease in fruit trees.

According to the county on the 13th, the surveillance has been underway for one week since the 11th, targeting about 50 apple and pear farming households.

Imsil County is vigorously promoting detailed surveillance to prevent the spread of fire blight disease in fruit trees.
[Photo by Imsil County]

Fire blight is a bacterial disease that mainly affects leaves, flowers, fruits, and branches of Rosaceae plants such as apples and pears, causing plant tissues to blacken and wither as if burned.

It is a nationally quarantined pest and disease that requires the closure of infected orchards and restricts the cultivation of host plants (187 species including plums, apricots, peaches, etc.) within the affected orchard for two years, making prevention especially important.

Damage symptoms by fire blight area begin with wilting from the tip of the stem, showing a cane-like bending symptom.

Leaves exhibit water-soaked dark brown spots, with lesions sometimes spreading along the leaf veins, causing the leaves to wilt and turn red or dark brown.

Fruits mainly show water-soaked symptoms starting from the area where the fruit stem attaches, gradually turning dark brown.

The Imsil-gun Agricultural Technology Center conducted the first orchard surveillance from May 8 to May 12 and the second from May 30 to June 9, coinciding with the peak fire blight occurrence period, and plans to carry out a total of four intensive surveys by October to fully block the introduction of fire blight in the region.

Additionally, they are continuously promoting education and awareness for fire blight prevention through sending promotional leaflets, posting banners, guiding the preparation of farm work diaries, and supporting pest control chemicals.

Precautions for farm workers to prevent fire blight include thorough disinfection of workers and agricultural equipment, frequent disinfection using 70% alcohol or bleach containing 0.2% sodium hypochlorite diluted 20 times with regular bleach, self-surveillance throughout the fruit cultivation period, and immediate reporting if suspicious plants are found.

County Governor Sim Min said, “To block the introduction of fire blight into the region, we ask for active participation in thorough disinfection during farm work and meticulous record-keeping of farming diaries.”

Imsil = Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Nosik baekok@asiae.co.kr