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Research To Address Fire Blight Challenges For Organic Growers

Avatar for Paul Rusnak Posted by Paul Rusnak|July 23, 2013

The Organic Center recently announced a project to provide organic apple and pear growers with critical information on how to prevent fire blight in orchards while maintaining rigorous organic standards.

The issue at hand is fire blight, a bacterial tree disease. Fire blight is a serious problem for organic apples and pears. Organic farmers will no longer be allowed to use oxytetracycline, one of the key control agents to prevent this disease, as of October 2014.

Fire blight just doesn’t just destroy the fruit; it has the potential to kill the entire tree. The disease is highly contagious among trees and orchards, and the potential for damage is great. Fire blight could have huge ramifications on the future organic apple and pear market (which is now estimated to be more than $300 million at retail). Washington state, which leads in production, currently has more than 15,000 acres dedicated to organic apple and pear orchards.

Recent polls conducted by David Granatstein, sustainable agriculture specialist at Washington State University, show that 70-90% of all organic apple and pear producers may switch to non-organic management if an alternative control is not available by the time oxytetracycline use expires.

“Based on Washington State surveys, many organic growers do not feel that there are suitable replacements to antibiotics yet, and are thus considering reducing their organic apple or pear production due to the risk that fire blight poses,” said Granatstein.

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To address the issue of non-antibiotic alternatives for fire blight control, The Organic Center is funding a project in collaboration with Granatstein and Harold Ostenson, to research integrative antibiotic-free management strategies. The project will be published as a report written by farmers for farmers, reviewing methods for controlling fire blight holistically, and covering other pertinent issues. This will provide a critically needed bridge to cover the gap created with the 2014 expiration of oxytetracycline.
 
“This project will play a vital role in ensuring that apple and pear growers are able to continue their organic operations without losing trees to fire blight,” said Jessica Shade, the director of science programs for The Organic Center.

Shade said the project has received support from the organic industry from many companies and is expected to be completed in time for the 2014 growing season.

Source: The Organic Center news release.

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Paul Rusnak is the Senior Online Editor of American Vegetable Grower, American Fruit Grower, and Greenhouse Grower magazines, all Meister Media Worldwide brands. He is based in Northeast Florida. See all author stories here.

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Avatar for Janice Hale Janice Hale says:
July 24, 2013 at 9:33 am

I hope they find a solution to the fire blight problem other than antibiotics we have now. Non-organic growers such as myself could benefit as well.

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Avatar for Tim Smith Tim Smith says:
July 24, 2013 at 1:03 pm

The search for non-antibiotic methods for fire blight management is not a new effort. There is a three year project going into its third year funded by the Organic Research and Education Initiative (USDA) that has consolidated the efforts of several researchers in the USA. I have worked on the non-antibiotic management of fire blight for 18 years, with very good results. Other researchers, such as Dr. Ken Johnson, Oregon State University are working on this problem, with very good results. I can assure the growers in the western USA that there are effective alternative options and improved methods, and these will also be useful to conventional growers. The organic groups are concerned, and rightly so. However, they need to recognize that they are not left to do this work on their own. Fire blight research is very technical, but it is necessary to do it carefully to avoid erroneous results.

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Avatar for Andy Hudson Andy Hudson says:
July 25, 2013 at 4:34 pm

Fire blight is a very real threat for pome orchardists nationwide. Given its potential to kill trees, there is good reason for concern. However, extensive research by both Universities and private companies is producing viable options for organic growers, as well as conventional growers. Cultivation practices such as selective pruning of blighted shoots and orchard sanitation will always be cornerstones of an effective fire blight control program. But in addition to those practices, there are registered biocontrol products for the organic production of apples and pears. Blossom Protect™, an EPA registered and organically approved biocontrol, in particular has established an impressive track record with University trials for over 5 years and in commercial sales for two growing seasons. The results from University trials consistently show Blossom Protect™, when used in conjunction with Buffer Protect™, provides a level of control that is statistically equivalent the antibiotic standards included in those trials. Often the control it affords is numerically superior to the antibiotic standard. Control is consistently in the 85-90% range, and these are pathogen inoculated trials, a worst case scenario! Years of extensive research in the private and University sectors have resulted in real, organically approved options being available for the non-antibiotic control of fire blight. It should also be noted that these alternatives are very real options in conventional agriculture as well, especially if antibiotic resistance has occurred or has the potential to occur.

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