Neonectria rot - cultural control

  • Remove Neonectria cankers from orchards during winter pruning. Smaller cankers can be pruned out completely.
  • Larger cankers on the trunk or scaffold branches can be pared back to healthy tissue and treated with a suitable wound protectant paint immediately after.
  • Cut out shoot dieback due to canker in the spring.
  • Avoid pruning in wet conditions.
  • Unmacerated or unpulverised cankered prunings left in the tree row can continue to produce spores (ascospores) for at least 1-2 years and therefore are a canker risk.
  • Remove prunings from the orchard and burn. Alternatively throw in alleyway and macerate up to encourage breakdown.
  • Remove mummified fruit from trees and from under trees and either remove from orchard or throw into alleyway to be macerated.
  • Prune trees to open and encourage air circulation to improve tree drying out and reduce surface moisture and conditions favourable for canker.
  • Avoid use of high nitrogen, especially farmyard manure as that will encourage canker.