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Bacterial canker - Pseudomonas syringae
Home > Pest management > Bacterial canker
Cankers on trunks, limbs and branches of sweet cherry, tart cherry, plum and prune exude gum during late spring and summer. Leaf, fruit and blossom infections are common following prolonged wet, cold periods during or soon after bloom. Leaf spots are dark brown, circular to angular and sometimes surrounded with yellow halos.

Spurs with infected leaves and fruit often die back. Infected leaf and flower buds may fail to open in spring, resulting in a condition referred to as “dead bud.” Terminals and branches may wilt and die in summer or early autumn if girdled by a canker. Occasionally, large scaffold limbs are killed.
Bacterial canker
Bacterial canker on sweet cherry.
Bacterial canker on tart cherry
Bacterial canker on tart cherry.
 
Bacterial canker on leaves Bacterial canker on leaf
Bacterial canker on tart cherry (left) and plum (right).
 
Additional information
Images on this page provided by Alan L. Jones.

This information was developed from A Pocket Guide for IPM Scouting in Stone Fruits by David Epstein, Larry J. Gut, Alan L. Jones and Kimberly Maxson-Stein. Purchase this in a pocket-sized guide for reference in the orchard from MSU Extension (publication E-2840).

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Funding support: Project GREEEN, the Michigan Cherry Committee and the MSU IPM Program. Read disclaimer. Web developed by: J.N. Landis.
Updated: 03/03/08
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