Eric Rochon, president of a group representing the apple industry told the Canadian press, “Currently in the lower Laurentians, we’re in a state of emergency.”
Fire blight is a contagious disease affecting members of the family Rosaceae, including apples, pears, loquat, crabapples, quinces, hawthorn, cotoneaster, pyracantha and raspberry plants. The disease is caused by the bacterium, Erwinia amylovora.
In 2014, fire blight hit Nova Scotia, affecting nearly every orchard in the province and wiping out 90 percent of the trees. It was believed the bacterium arrived with Tropical Storm Arthur, but it’s more than likely the damage to the trees by the storm and the wet conditions played a role in the bacteria getting started.
Quebec apple growers are happy the harvesting season is about over, and the quality of the apples themselves has not been affected, but the immediate future is going to be one of a lot of hard work for the growers who want to protect their investment. Rochon says the only way to stop the disease from spreading further is to rip out the infected branches by hand.
Several orchards in Quebec have already sustained considerable damage, with one apple grower, Marc Vincent, about 45 minutes from Montreal saying he has spent close to $200,000 already fighting the disease, according to CTV News.
Vincent says he believes climate change is responsible for the disease becoming more prevalent. He points out the hot, humid weather we have been experiencing. “A hot, humid spring during flowering…10 years ago it was a lot less common,” he said.
