Thorough Pre-emptive Control by Farmers Is Essential
On February 20, Gimcheon City in North Gyeongsang Province announced that it will distribute four types of fire blight control agents to 1,085 apple and pear farming households in the city to maintain its status as a fire blight-free area.
Fire blight is a bacterial disease in which the leaves, stems, flowers, and fruits of apple and pear trees wither and die as if they were burned. Once infected, it spreads rapidly and there is no cure, so prevention in advance is more important than anything else.
This year, the city selected four products to be distributed: first, Pencubray (lime Bordeaux mixture); second, Cerifel (biological pesticide); third, Oxytetracycline (antibiotic); and fourth, Bion (resistance inducer). These will be distributed to farms by March 10. Farmers must carry out control measures a total of four times: the first before flowering, the second and third during flowering, and the fourth during the growing season.
Farmers must strictly comply with the following: keep empty pesticide bags for one year after application; complete at least one preventive training session per year lasting one hour or more; and provide thorough pre-work preventive education and rule compliance for farm workers. Preventive education can be completed by taking the course "Compliance Requirements for Farmers to Prevent Fire Blight" through cyber education (e-learning) at the Rural Human Resources Development Center of the Rural Development Administration.
An official from the city said, "Since fire blight infections cause enormous damage to farms, thorough pre-emptive control by farmers is essential," adding, "If you discover any suspected symptoms of fire blight while working in an orchard, please report it immediately to the Plum Cultivation Team at the Agricultural Technology Center."
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