Peach tree leprosy: characteristics, symptoms and treatment

One of the diseases that can affect the peach tree more frequently is the peach tree leprosy. Knowing all the keys to this disease is essential to be able to attend and attack correctly. It is one of the most frequent diseases suffered by this type of plantation, but some guidelines can be given to prevent or alleviate these problems.

In this article we are going to tell you everything you need to know about peach leprosy and how to treat it.

What is peach leprosy

The first of all is to know what this type of disease consists of. It is a fungus that appears in peach plantations and causes a fungal disease. It is quite easy to recognize, since a wrinkled texture appears on the leaves and turns a reddish color. In the area of ​​the spring shoots is when these symptoms are most noticeable. Bumps and dents can also be seen.

Peach tree leprosy is also called a dent as it refers to one of the main symptoms it causes. The scientific name of this disease is Taphira deformans. Once approximately 45 days have passed since the outbreak began, the leaves that are diseased usually comment to detach from the tree. Due to this continuous fall of the leaves, the tree begins to weaken little by little. It also comes to fruition in a very inefficient way.

The advantage of this type of disease is that if it is treated in time, the life of the tree can be saved. Otherwise, If measures are not taken to alleviate the symptoms, it is very likely that the tree will end up dying.

Key features

We must know the main characteristics of peach leprosy to know how to attack it. The fungus responsible for this disease is of the ascomycete type. It develops on the surface that is on the cuticle of the leaves. The main thing that causes this type of fungus in a tree is perforations in the leaf to be able to bear fruit on the outside. In this way, it is capable of producing varieties of germs of a microscopic size that help them to perpetuate themselves in the plant. Thanks to these little piercings can survive in good condition. It is for this reason that the leaves must be analyzed very well when detecting peach leprosy.

The germs that are generated in the perforations of the leaves have a particularity. And it is that in winter they are able to surrender to the bark of the branches, stems and leaves that have fallen to the ground. If they are found in these leaves, they can continue to reproduce to spread again and reach the tree again. When spring comes, germs obtain the best climatic conditions for their development. When germinating in the shoots, the disease persists and develops more and more seriously.

Symptoms of peach tree leprosy

We are going to learn what are the main symptoms in peach leprosy to be able to identify if it is this disease or another. It can be identified very easily. The first thing is to find the injuries or bumps that it causes in the tree. We emphasize that the entire green structure of the tree, be it stems and leaves, can be affected by these bumps. On many occasions we can also see that the fruits are affected by this disease.

We must look at the leaves of the peach tree since it is one of the easiest areas to detect. It is on the leaves in the areas where the most visible and noticeable lesions are evident. That is, it is on the leaves where the most characteristic bumps of this disease are noticed. The disease can appear on both new and small leaves. These bumps are easily marked by their convexity. There are cases in which the lesions can go through the blade and appear in the lower part. The most normal thing is that the dents are in the central part of the blade, close to the main rib This is not 100% certain in all occasions, but it can serve as an indicator.

Another of the symptoms that can present is that the bumps join each other. It can be seen that, with the development of the disease, the formations of bumps merge with each other. In this way, the appearance and health of the tree are highly compromised with the advance of leprosy. The thickness and size of the sheets increased considerably. It can be recognized with the naked eye, since the leaves become reddish with a fleshy texture. If the leaves begin to fall off en masse, the life of the tree begins to be in danger. This is the reason why peach leprosy must be treated quickly to avoid the death of the tree.

Treatments

We are going to see what are the main treatments that we can apply to end this disease. The first of all is to know the symptoms that we have mentioned above to prevent. Some actions can be taken to combat this disease.

The most normal thing is to tear off the infected leaves. This is not an aid that will condition the disease to disappear, but it does benefit that of having its extension. Prevention is highly advisable to avoid further damage. Combined strategies should be used, such as multipurpose treatment during winter. For it, Winter oil is used combined with an insecticide that is of the DNOC type. Other types of insecticides can also be used when the buds of the tree sprout. This is where dictyocarbamates are used.

Finally, it is advisable to use copper fungicides before moving the others. The use of this fungicide should be repeated more or less every two weeks. These are some of the most common and effective strategies to combat this disease.

I hope that with this information you can learn more about peach leprosy, its symptoms and how to treat it.