Hampyeong-gun Launches Intensive Surveillance for Plant Quarantine Diseases 'Fire Blight and Plum Pox'

[Hampyeong=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] The plant quarantine disease Plum Pox Virus causes symptoms such as necrosis, severe mosaic, and circular spots on the leaves and fruits of stone fruits like plums and peaches, and trees infected with the virus have been found to experience a yield reduction of over 75%.

On the 2nd, Hampyeong County in Jeollanam-do announced that it will conduct intensive monitoring until the end of June on 178 fruit farms covering 44 hectares within the jurisdiction to prevent and control the spread of plant quarantine diseases such as Fire Blight and Plum Pox Virus.

This measure aims to ensure a safe farming environment for local fruit farmers by early detection of abnormal signs to prevent the spread of pests and diseases in advance.

Fire Blight is a fatal bacterial disease affecting apples and pears, causing symptoms where leaves, flowers, stems, and fruits appear blackened or reddish as if burned.

In particular, once Fire Blight occurs, the entire orchard must be closed, and apples and pears cannot be cultivated for three years, making prevention paramount.

To prevent Fire Blight, people entering the orchard and farming tools must be thoroughly disinfected before use, and disinfection should be performed frequently during farming operations.

At this time, during fruit thinning, clothing should be sprayed with 70% ethyl alcohol, and farming tools such as pruning scissors should be thoroughly disinfected by replanting unit before use.

Na Jaehyuk, Director of the Agricultural Technology Center's Technology Extension Division, said, “Since there is currently no clear treatment for Fire Blight and Plum Pox Virus, once they occur, they cause enormous damage. Therefore, practicing preemptive control with pesticides and frequently disinfecting tools such as pruning shears used in farming operations is essential.” He added, “If suspicious symptoms are observed, please report immediately to the Agricultural Technology Center's Product Development Team.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.