Damage to 59 Farms and 43.8ha by March This Year
Chungnam Province Urges "Thorough Self-Monitoring to Prevent Damage"
The spread of fire blight disease among fruit orchards in Cheonan City, Chungnam Province, is showing alarming signs as the incidence has surpassed the levels recorded in the first half of last year.
According to Cheonan City on the 28th, fire blight disease has occurred in 59 farms since January. The affected area amounts to 43.8 hectares. Most of the affected farms are known to be pear orchards.
This figure exceeds the incidence recorded in the first half of last year. In fact, as of July last year, 24 farms in the Cheonan area were affected by fire blight disease, with a damaged area of 6.3 hectares. In 2022, fire blight disease occurred in 27 farms covering 7.4 hectares throughout the year, showing an annual increase in both affected farms and area.
The Chungnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services analyze that the rapid increase in fire blight disease is due to this winter’s weather being warmer than usual and experiencing heavy rainfall.
A more serious concern is the significant environmental factors that could lead to further damage in the future. Due to the nature of fire blight disease, when humidity is high and temperatures reach 25 to 27℃, the fire blight bacteria are released in a mucilaginous form, increasing the likelihood of bacterial spread.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the days when the maximum temperature in the Cheonan area exceeded 20℃ in March were only on the 23rd and 24th. This is why there is a high possibility of further bacterial spread starting in April, when temperatures begin to rise significantly.
In response, Chungnam Province and Cheonan City are making every effort to prevent the spread by immediately carrying out burial operations upon receiving suspicious reports. They are also promoting preventive pesticide spraying, regular inspections, continuous strengthening of inspection education, and ongoing fire blight disease prevention education to thoroughly prevent additional spread.
A Chungnam Province official stated, “We urge strict compliance with the administrative orders regarding fire blight disease to help prevent its spread,” adding, “Although it is very difficult to identify ulcer symptoms of fire blight during winter, meticulous self-inspections within orchards to proactively remove ulcers can minimize damage and further spread of the disease.”
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