Autumn is here and new active cankers with exudate have been found on orchards in several regions over recent weeks.

For growers who have completed harvest, now is a good time to complete a round of Psa monitoring to identify areas where you may need to modify your pruning strategy to ensure as much Psa as possible is removed from the canopy. Look for cane and leader dieback and fresh exudate. Any large active cankers are likely to worsen before spring, so consider removing these before you send the pruners in.

Autumn spray programmes should include regular copper application at full winter rates and if possible at least one Actigard where leaf is fully functioning. Actigard can be tank mixed with copper and is most effective when applied to leaves that are still in good condition. Extreme care must be taken to avoid spray drift onto unharvested blocks. After spraying Actigard ensure that spray tanks, lines and nozzles are cleaned thoroughly before spraying other products on unharvested fruit.

For more information, refer to KVH's Psa Best Practice Guide and the latest Actigard technote.

To maintain a high level of on-orchard hygiene, growers should continue to monitor pruning staff and ensure tool hygiene at all times. Restrict access to unnecessary vehicles. Best practice guides are available on the KVH website.