Naju City Operates 'Regular Inspections and Farmer Reporting System' to Prevent Fire Blight in Fruit Trees

[Naju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Han-hyuk] Naju City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Kang In-gyu) announced on the 21st that it will operate regular inspections and a farm reporting system targeting over 1,100 pear and apple farming households to prevent 'fire blight,' known as the foot-and-mouth disease of fruit trees.

Fire blight is a bacterial infectious disease that causes all parts of the fruit tree, such as flowers, fruits, and branches, to turn black as if burned and wither. It spreads rapidly, and there is currently no effective treatment, so infected trees must be removed.

Currently, it is causing enormous damage to fruit farms due to its spread from non-affected areas in the central regions such as Gyeonggi, Chungbuk, Chungnam, and Gyeongbuk (Andong).

The city has established the '2021 Fire Blight Inspection and Occurrence Survey Plan' in accordance with related laws such as the 'Plant Protection Act' and is conducting large-scale inspections targeting pear and apple farming households in each eup, myeon, and dong area.

Starting with the first regular inspection on the 10th of last month, the city plans to conduct three rounds of intensive inspections by next month for 1,114 farms (980 hectares).

Farmers are advised to frequently disinfect workers and tools when entering orchards, conduct self-inspections at least once a week to detect early signs of infection, and refrain from allowing outsiders to enter orchards or visit other orchards.

If early signs of fire blight are detected, it should be reported immediately to the nationwide representative phone number, Naju Agricultural Technology Center, or eup, myeon, and dong administrative welfare centers.

After farming activities such as pruning, residues should be completely removed by burying or crushing, and it is recommended not to use seedlings of unclear origin or from affected areas.

It is also necessary to thoroughly record all farming-related details such as work dates, work contents, entry lists, disinfection status, and seedling purchase sources.

Mayor Kang In-gyu said, “Preventing fire blight depends on thorough self-inspection, reporting early signs of infection, and compliance with farm prevention rules,” and added, “We hope farmers familiarize themselves with reporting methods in advance through phone and on-site inspections and participation in fire blight prevention education.”

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