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Abandoned trees grow pests, disease Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Ron Meyer taps a pear tree limb to knock off pear psylla - a vigorous European pest that reinfests easily from distant orchards - to check the effectiveness of spraying his Talent orchard. Pear psylla is only one of many pests orchardists combat every year. By JILL BRISKEY Mail Tribune TALENT - Orchard owner Ron Meyer has learned how to keep pear trees alive when drought strikes and the ground freezes. He's found ways to cope with a declining demand for fruit, and continues to find alternatives to harsh, chemical pesticides - all to keep his family's 115-acre pear farm from going under. But now Meyer and Southern Oregon's entire pear and apple industry are facing a new threat from their own back yards. Infestations spread Abandoned orchards most often create three main infestation problems that can spread to commercial orchards. They include fire blight, codling moths and fungus scabs. Fire blight - Fire blight is a bacterial disease that attacks pear and apple trees (including crabapple). It is spread by insects, rain and wind. Symptoms include dead or dying leaves, darkened or reddish streaks in the bark and cankers on the trunk or limb. Pruning and or repeated spraying can help in some cases. Codling moth - The codling moth is not native to Southern Oregon and has no natural predators. Its larvae bore holes into the fruit of apple and pear trees. The most effective method of control involves dispensing pheromones to confuse male moths, preventing them from mating. Fungus scab - Fungus scab forms over the leaves and fruit of pear and apple trees. Its spores are spread by wind. Removing leaves and fruit and repeated spraying can sometimes help. "Abandoned orchards are a regular hatchery for insects and disease," Meyer said. "It's every place and ever-present. You're helpless to do anything." Nobody knows how many abandoned pear and apple orchards cover the Rogue Valley, but Fruit Growers League Executive Director Dennis Hofer estimates there's enough to devastate the region's commercial orchard industry. Fruit production in Southern Oregon provides roughly 6,000 jobs, including many at Bear Creek Corp., and pumps $70 million into the economy, Hofer said. Rows and rows of forgotten fruit trees have become havens for the codling moth - an insect that has no natural predator. Neglected fruit trees are also attracting the deadly bacteria fire blight. They create the perfect environment for fungus scab. Hofer said the pests and diseases spread by wind and insects, and spraying isn't always effective. Hoping to overcome the latest threat to their industry, the Fruit Growers League on Tuesday presented Jackson County commissioners with a proposal that requires landowners to treat or remove abandoned pear and apple orchards. The county would remove the trees if the landowner refused to comply and send them the bill. Failure to pay the bill would result in a tax lien. The proposed ordinance is closely molded after a similar, and highly successful ordinance adopted in Hood River County several years ago, Hofer told commissioners. "Agriculture is in a very deep, troubled time. The fruit industry is even deeper," Hofer said. "The idea, what the ordinance says, is let's sit down and try to find the best way to work this out." As it's currently written, the ordinance would apply to all diseased apple or pear trees. Its main focus, however, will be abandoned orchards. Area agent Philip VanBuskirk of the Oregon State University Extension Service said an educational campaign slated for this summer will help average home owners deal with their own problem trees. "Right now the main thing is looking at large, abandoned orchards, not people's back yards," said VanBuskirk. "We think that (educating the public) may be the answer." League member Brian Stringer said the ordinance will help preserve the industry and the region's heritage. "The orchardists, as you know, are in a survival mode right now," said Stringer. "We have to come together or we're going to become a bedroom community with blacktop everywhere." Fire blight and fungus scab can often be eradicated through repeated spraying and pruning. However, sometimes the only remedy is to remove the tree and burn it to prevent the spread of disease. County Administrator Sue Slack said she will investigate the league's proposal and Hood River County's ordinance and present the information to commissioners for additional review. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.