Achieving better black spot control

August 2012 | Stephen Tancred | Australian Fruitgrower / Future Orchards® article

Apple black spot is a disease where prevention is more reliable than trying to recover after significant infection has occurred. In this Australian Fruitgrower article, Stephen Tancred reviews practical principles for improving black spot control in commercial orchards.

The article emphasises the importance of understanding infection risk, maintaining timely fungicide protection and achieving good spray coverage. Orchard history, weather and the condition of the crop all influence the level of risk, so programs need to be adjusted to circumstances rather than applied mechanically.

For growers, the key management lesson is that black spot control depends on consistency across the season. A well-planned program, supported by monitoring and appropriate fungicide use, protects fruit quality and reduces the chance that missed infection periods create problems that are difficult and costly to correct later.

For library users, this resource is most useful as a record of the technical thinking and field evidence available at the time. Product registrations, resistance advice and regional pest pressure can change, so any present-day control decision should be checked against current labels and local recommendations while retaining the monitoring and decision-making principles described here.