• Agribusiness & Markets
  • Agribusiness
  • Agricultural Economics
• Animal Health
  • Chemicals
  • Diseases
  • Parasites
• Crops
  • Barley production in Western Australia
  • Canola and Oilseeds
  • Engineering
  • GM Crops
  • Lupins and Pulses
  • Oats
  • Speciality Crops
  • Storage
  • Wheat
• Environment
  • Climate
  • Land Use Sustainability
  • Rangeland Management
  • Regional Resources and Support
  • Resource Planning and Management
  • Salinity
  • Salinity Case studies
  • Soil and Landscapes
  • Soil
  • Sustainability
  • Vegetation
  • Water
• Farm Systems
  • Organic Farming
  • Small Landholder Information Service (SLIS)
• Food
• Gardens & Households
• Horticulture
  • Engineering
  • Floriculture + Nursery
  • Fruit and Nuts
  • Vegetables
  • Viticulture
• Invasive Species
  • Invertebrate Pests
  • Vertebrate Animal Pests
• Livestock
  • Beef Cattle
  • Dairy Cattle
  • Engineering
  • Goats
  • Honey Bees
  • Livestock identification and brands
  • Other Livestock
  • Pigs
  • Poultry
  • Sheep and Lambs
• Pastures
  • Grasses
  • Other Pastures and Fodder Plants
  • Pasture Legumes
• Plant Health
  • Chemicals
  • Parasites and Nematodes
  • Post-border biosecurity
• Quarantine
  • Advice for exporters
  • Import requirements
  • Intrastate requirements
• Weeds
  • Declared plants in Western Australia
  • Herbicides
  • Herbicides
  • Integrated Weed Management
  • Major Weeds
  • Weed Publications and Links

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

Vigilance Results in Apple Scab Find

Media release : 21st January 2009

Two backyard apple trees in Mount Barker identified as having apple scab will be removed and destroyed today by the Department of Agriculture and Food.

Thanks to the vigilance of a local resident, also a department employee, the disease was discovered and will be eradicated from a property in the Mount Barker townsite.

Department intensive plant research development officer Tony Portman said although apple scab was exotic to the State, it was not the first time the disease had been discovered in Western Australia.

"There was a previous outbreak in 2005 which was successfully eradicated," he said.

Mr Portman said department staff would be undertaking surveys of the five commercial apple orchards in the shire, and all properties within the Mount Barker townsite over the next two weeks, to ensure the disease was not present anywhere else.

"Although apple trees are the main host of the disease, loquat, firethorn and mountain ash are also known to be secondary hosts for apple scab."

"Residents in town will be visited by a department biosecurity inspector who will need to inspect any fruit trees they have growing in their backyard."

"Alternatively, if residents have noticed any unusual symptoms on their fruit trees, particularly apples, then they should contact the department immediately."

Apple scab is a fungus which infects leaves, petioles, flowers, sepals, fruit, pedicels, young shoots and bud scales. It's most serious symptoms can be observed on leaves and fruit.

On leaves apple scab appears as black spots on either the upper or lower leaf surface. Young scab spots appear as light green areas which contrast slightly with the healthy surface.

Older spots appear metallic black and may be slightly raised, blistered or scabby in appearance.

Lesions on young fruit appear similar to those on leaves, but they usually enlarge more slowly, become darker in colour and are a broader shape.

Fruit infected early in development becomes severely scabbed and cracks appear in the skin and flesh of the fruit. Infection of nearly mature fruit results in small spots with little distortion.

Residents who would like to report anything unusual in their backyard fruit trees should contact the department's Pest and Disease Information Service on 1800 084 881.

A farmnote on apple scab outlining the symptoms to look for on fruit trees is available from www.agric.wa.gov.au search 'apple scab'.

Media Contacts