Help Identify this Pear Disease

[blueKYstream]

I bought 16 pears last year from The Wildlife Group. A couple died and I replaced them when Walmart had their remaining stock on clearance. I planted one that is supposed to be a Kieffer Pear. That's what the tag said anyways. The clearance sticker slapped on it by Walmart said Bartlett Pear. I'm not sure which it is, but last year I noticed spots on it and then it would drop leaves. It did this two or three times. I thought maybe it was the stress of planting it in mid-June.

As an added precaution, I sprayed it last week with Garden Safe Fungicide when it first started leafing out. Today, I went to check on it and, sure enough, it's back. My questions are: Is this black spot or some other disease? Will it come back every year? Is there something better to treat with? A strict regimen of reapplying every 7-10 days is not going to be possible, especially as the tree gets larger. I'm hoping I won't need to topwork it to another variety, but I'm curious what your thoughts are.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Fire blight
Bartlett is said to be a worthless tree being very susceptible to it. Kieffer is said to have heavy resistance to it.
Can cut affected limbs off. I had a Sen Clark pear from wildlife group do the same thing. I had to cut it way back. If it’s a Bartlett too working prolly be your best bet

 

[Turkey Creek]

I think its more likely "environmental" stress. If it is fire blight it will progress across the entire leaf blade and then down the petiole.

 

[blueKYstream]

I'm not sure if this helps or not, but I have a couple pictures from last year's leaves.

From last year

 

[Native Hunter]

Looks like last year you may have had a touch of Fabraea maculata. I agree with Turkey Creek that what you have this year doesn't look like FB. I'm not sure what it is, but I have seen it occasionally on an Olympic Giant. It never caused any serious problems, and may just be stress like he suggested.

 

[Turkey Creek]

That picture from last year looks like pear scab. Not the same issue as your leaves are showing now.

 

[Prof.Kent]

Fireblight (blackened burned looking leaves) and Scab (crusty spots).

 

[blueKYstream]

Thanks for your responses. It sounds like this tree has had a bit of everything but the coronavirus! Last year, the leaves looked clean for about 2-3 weeks before spotting up and dropping off. These leaves are only about 10 days old. If it did it last year and it's doing it this year, it seems like it might be a problem child for me. I don't know what options are best at this point. Would you recommend I monitor it this year and (learn to) topwork it next if it continues down this path?

 

[Native Hunter]

Thanks for your responses. It sounds like this tree has had a bit of everything but the coronavirus! Last year, the leaves looked clean for about 2-3 weeks before spotting up and dropping off. These leaves are only about 10 days old. If it did it last year and it's doing it this year, it seems like it might be a problem child for me. I don't know what options are best at this point. Would you recommend I monitor it this year and (learn to) topwork it next if it continues down this path?

Yes, just monitor this year and give it time.

 

[blueKYstream]

I checked on this pear again this week. It'll be 3 weeks straight I sprayed it. It seems to have halted the advance of whatever it is. I'm hoping to stop it from advancing and then let it go on it's own. Not sure if that's the best method, but I guess we'll see how it goes.

 

[OakSeeds]

This may help .... ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7413.html
Note ... make sure you destroy infected leaves; pick up any that have fallen on the ground.

"This disease is effectively controlled by a good sanitation program in which diseased leaves and fruit are removed from the vicinity of the tree. This significantly reduces sources of inoculum in the spring. Scab can also be controlled with properly selected and timed fungicide sprays".

Good luck

 

[blueKYstream]

It seems like there's one, maybe two, diseases at work. I could be wrong though. It seems like fireblight also with the leaves turning black and shriveling. At any rate, it seems like the treatment for almost all of them is as you say, remove the leaves. I'll see if there's any leaf litter in the area and remove it. I'm going to spray the next month or so. After that, we'll see if it can fend off whatever disease it has I suppose.

 

[chickenlittle]

Does not fit fireblight. Did you have a frost since it leafed out?

 

[buckdeer1]

Some of mine did that right after we got a heavy frost

 

[blueKYstream]

Does not fit fireblight. Did you have a frost since it leafed out?

I checked weather underground and the last day below freezing was March 22 at 29 degrees. Before that was March 7th. The 22nd about 3 weeks ago and around the time when I think the leaves were just breaking bud. The Dr Deer Pear I have near it was the first to leaf out but had no issues. All other pears I checked at that time had not yet leafed out. That would make me feel a little better if it isn’t fireblight for sure!

 

[swat1018]

On the ones I've seen with Fire Blight, you usually get a "shepherd's hook" look to the leafs

 

[blueKYstream]

I check it again yesterday. I noticed that a couple other trees had the same deal going on. I'm guessing it is frost damage. I did put a bit of fertilizer down, but I'm guessing it was the frost.

I'll have to keep monitoring this tree for infection. Kiefer Tree from previous post:


Dr. Deer Pear that was the first to leaf out has the same issue:


Becton Pear I believe. It was doing well and then something nipped the top last summer. That's the only pear something ate the wood, but it'll be fine though. Picture isn't the greatest, but it had the same frost damage:

 

[Rit]

None of my pears look good. 14 of the 16 have these spots. We had a couple of brutal frost and big temperature changes late. Some of the pears that flowered half the flowers turned black along with a few leaves. Even some of the Callery pears that I have had the leaves turned black. I think it may have been the weather. Anyone disagree and thing I may need to spray something on these?

 

[OakSeeds]

Fungal Infections

Pear tree leaves, fruit, twigs and branches can become infected by fungus. Some of the symptoms of fungal infection are black spots on leaves or stems, early leaf drop or curling and blackening of the leaves. Flyspeck, sooty blotch, fabraea leaf spot and pear scab are all fungal infections commonly affecting pear trees. Prevent fungal infections by removing fallen fruit and leaves promptly, disposing of these away from the pear tree itself. Treat fungal infections with fungicidal sprays. Follow the directions on the fungicide label for correct application.

fabraea leaf spot .... that's my guess ....

"Symptoms & Signs
Fabraea most noticeably first manifests itself as small, purple-black spots on leaves and fruit. Spots gradually enlarge into brown lesions 1/8 to ¼ inch in diameter. When the infection is severe, defoliation can occur and fruit will become deformed and not sellable and/or drop off the tree. Fabraea may also infect shoots, again appearing initially as purplish spots, becoming lesions/cankers which may persist into the next growing season. Leaf and fruit infections are most notable in the Northeast and Midwest, but in the Southeast , shoot infection can be significant. Severe infections can result in reduced flower bud formation for the following season."

"Disease Cycle
Similar to apple scab, much Fabraea overwinters in leaves on the orchard floor. Farther south, overwintering is also likely to occur in shoot cankers. Spores are released from leaves with rain from mid-May to July (in the Northeast and Midwest) and result in primary infection on fruit and foliage. Shoot cankers spread Fabraea from late-April through May (in the Southeast) with more driving rains. Length of wetting for infection to occur can range from 12 hours at 50 degrees F. to as little as 8 hours from 68 to 77 degrees F. Infections take about 7 days to become visible. Once primary infection occurs, secondary infection can spread rapidly with rain and wind during the summer, particularly during wet seasons."

"Chemical Control
Contact/protectant fungicides are necessary to control Fabraea leaf spot. EBDC fungicides (Manzate, Penncozeb, Dithane) and Ziram give good control. (But EBDC’s have a 77 day Pre-Harvest Interval.) Early season fungicide application(s) for pear scab (as long as EBDC’s or Ziram are included) will prevent initial infection by Fabraea. Where disease pressure is high, however, summer-long fungicide applications (once the pear scab season has passed) will be required, particularly in wet summers. Late-maturing varieties may even need fungicide sprays into the early fall to prevent Fabraea from infecting fruit."

 

[H20fwler]

Does not fit fireblight. Did you have a frost since it leafed out?

That is exactly what I thought when I looked at first pic, looks like leaves might have frozen when opening.

Doesn't look like FB at all to me and Bartlett get a bad rap, in my area most of the big old homestead trees I see in barnyards are Bartlett’s they must have been very popular 50-70 years or more ago. We have a few and I have seen FB strike a branch now and then when young but I cut and as tree matures it ends up being a non-issue, my wife likes them for an eating pear to me they are to gritty. Still a good September pear, deer and other critters eat them up.

I'm not sure if this helps or not, but I have a couple pictures from last year's leaves.

From last year
View attachment 28833
View attachment 28832

View attachment 28831

I had a Kieffer from TSC spot exactly like that three years ago then the spots turned to holes and it seemed to shock it and set it back, tree is doing fine now.