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Encanto Farms Nursery > Topics > Fig Rust _Easy Tell
 
 


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ascpete

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 
Please note attached website with simple description and zoomable pictures for easy recognition of FIG RUST.

http://plantpath.caes.uga.edu/extension/plants/fruitandnuts/commonfigrust.html
DesertDance

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
Very helpful link for those (like me) who have never seen this.  I think it's too dry here.  I recently received a plant or two with those symptoms, but since I've read this forum so much, it didn't worry me.  The plants are healthy and showing growth already.

Suzi
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Pattee

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
Lucky you Suzi ! My trees are showing rust heavily on a few varieties and none /light on  others!
Our weather had been rainy, humid for days . Not good hair days either !!  ;-))
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7a & 9b ►I assume all my figs carry FMV ◄

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ascpete

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
Suzi,  Thanks. Yes dry climates have less to worry about. Rust can spread in a controlled environment (green house) even in your climate, if not addressed. I have removed and discarded rust infected leaves on small starts that I have received, without negatively affecting the plants.

Pattee, Destroy or bag infected leaves, never compost. It will reduce or eliminate infection next year.
Pattee

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
Thanks Pete , I have been doing just that . I've removed , picked up dropped and discarded a lot of leaves! Glad to hear that the removal of them on small starts did not negatively affect them , that eases my worry as I've just done the same.
Thanks...
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7a & 9b ►I assume all my figs carry FMV ◄

Seeking :  Italian 376,395 , Galicia Negra, Negretta,UNK Pastilliere ,Pananas Purple,  Malta Blk+purple/red, Italian + Calabrian UNK's , Catanzaro, Malone, Sucrette(Baud)


"We may have our private opinions but why should they be a bar to the meeting of hearts?"
-  Gandhi
ascpete

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
Pattee, I have removed All the leaves on several small plants, and they have regrown new leaves and continued to flourish. There is documentation out there that states that figs can produce three (3) sets of leaves per growing season. As long as the roots and growing tips are healthy the plant will grow.
MichaelTucson

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Posted Reply with quote  #7 
Pattee,

I heartily second Pete's advice.  Bag or burn those leaves.  Or... well I guess giving advice to ensure that you get a really hard and deep freeze over the winter might not work even in coastal L.I... (and definitely not in Florida) :-)

Just one of those times when living in a place with really cold winters might give an advantage though for dealing with rust... because I was about to say that freezing kills rust too.  At least I think it does... I suppose it's possible that it's the "drying effect" that accompanies most freezing.  (But it's got to really freeze, right down through any mulch layer, etc).  Bag 'em or burn 'em, and only count on the benefit of freezing for the leaves that escape your bag-and-destroy efforts.  

Even if I could count on weeks of minus 20 to minus 30 degrees F, I still wouldn't mulch the dead fig leaves.  (I also choose bagging over burning, but that's because I don't like to burn stuff most of the time).   

Pete:   good reference, and good reference thread.  

Mike   central NY state, zone 5
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Pattee

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Posted Reply with quote  #8 
Oh that's really good to know . They are very healthy root wise so I 'm going to do just that ! 
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7a & 9b ►I assume all my figs carry FMV ◄

Seeking :  Italian 376,395 , Galicia Negra, Negretta,UNK Pastilliere ,Pananas Purple,  Malta Blk+purple/red, Italian + Calabrian UNK's , Catanzaro, Malone, Sucrette(Baud)


"We may have our private opinions but why should they be a bar to the meeting of hearts?"
-  Gandhi
dmartin

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Posted Reply with quote  #9 
Got me to think about what I do with the leaves from my plants.  I use the Ruth Stout method of mulching heavy and save all of my leaves.  Saw some sighs of rust and didn't know what it was on a small cherry tree this year.  Thank you for posting and sharing a useful site.
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ascpete

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Posted Reply with quote  #10 
Doug,

I typically compost, and use my leaves as mulch. I will be destroying the fig leaves.

I have attached pictures of the front and back of Mission and Ischia leaves, and a close up of the back of Ischia, to show the visible indicators of rust.

Attached Images
jpeg Rust_thick-thin_Front.JPG (138.34 KB, 117 views)
jpeg Rust_thick-thin_Rear.JPG (141.26 KB, 131 views)
jpeg Rust_thick_Rear_Closeup.JPG (242.95 KB, 115 views)
ascpete

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Posted Reply with quote  #11 
The attached document put out by Perdue University, about Organic Fungicides, gives an easily read review of several organic options.
Quote:
This publication offers strategies for properly using organic fungicides and describes
various kinds of these products.

I have used the Copper and Sulfur fungicides on Figs with good results. I am currently trying Neem oil, being recommended by several members.

Luckily the only plants that show any signs of rust are plants that were purchased this year from Nurseries.

 bp-69-w_PerdueUniversity_UsingOrganicFungicides.pdf     
ascpete

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Posted Reply with quote  #12 
Quote:
Originally posted by Darkman
I don't know how persistent fungicides are or if they are even absorbable by plants, fruit or soil. Are they systemic?

Here is one other thought. Could the soil be treated with a drench mid summer to kill the waiting spores? Can you even kill the spores or are they protected until they develop into fungi?  Would it be safe to do the fungicide treatment after the figs are all picked reducing the risk of early infection the following year? Maybe someone can answer these questions please.


Charles,
The Copper Fungicide used was a Copper soap, which is only topical and is washed away by rain. Most fungi can be controlled or killed by soil bacterial microbes. Once the spores get into the soil, they are no longer able to get airborne, to infect new leaves. If proper care is taken, infected leaves are removed, the area around the trees mulched and with a simple spraying schedule, there should be a reduction in the severity of rust outbreaks. The reason that it is not practiced commercially is probably financial, its labor intensive, and the fig production is still sufficient to meet the demand. Also its probably a financial reason that figs are not listed on the fungicide labels, there is not enough demand to warrant the investment. But most of us are not growing figs for commercial sale.
Copper and Sulfur sprays are used on most food crops, including in Certified Organic production. IMO you have to be the one to decide if the rewards justify the labor.

In post #10 the treated leaves were not severely damaged by rust. If they were left untreated, rust would have spread and caused leaf drop early in the season. The pictures of leaf backs show rust inoculation points and fruiting bodies that were killed by Copper Fungicide before they had a chance to mature.
KK4DFU

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Posted Reply with quote  #13 
I am in MD Zone 6B and have a major Rust problem. Especially this season with the high humidity.  I have had luck using Neem Oil.
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Frank Montgomery County, MD Zone 6b Wish List: Sicilian Black,Nero 600M, Fico Genovese, Nordland, Any other interesting Mt. Etna varieties 
ascpete

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Posted Reply with quote  #14 
Frank,
I don't have much experience with Neem Oil, so can't comment. But last year several members recommended it. The Copper Soap fungicide worked quite well for me last year, before the continuous rains in late September.
newnandawg

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Posted Reply with quote  #15 
Pete, I have been doing some research on the Copper Soap. There appears to be many versions to choose from. After reading
the possibility of injury to the plant with it, would you mind sharing which brand and the mixture you used? Thanks
ascpete

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Posted Reply with quote  #16 
Mike,
I used the Bonide Copper Fungicide Soap concentrate (Bonide Liquid Copper) @ 1 tablespoon per gallon of water (the lowest recommended dose), it didn't cause any damage to the leaves or figs. I also started spraying after the first signs of rust not before, and I removed and disposed all dead and dying leaves.

[pdf] Bonide_l811.pdf
newnandawg

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Posted Reply with quote  #17 
Pete, thank you. I have been using Daconil for the anthroacnose (collectotrichum) which it works well for. However, I am
not sure it is the best solution for rust which I have some on a few plants.
Darkman

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Posted Reply with quote  #18 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ascpete
Quote:
Originally posted by Darkman
I don't know how persistent fungicides are or if they are even absorbable by plants, fruit or soil. Are they systemic?

Here is one other thought. Could the soil be treated with a drench mid summer to kill the waiting spores? Can you even kill the spores or are they protected until they develop into fungi?  Would it be safe to do the fungicide treatment after the figs are all picked reducing the risk of early infection the following year? Maybe someone can answer these questions please.


Charles,
......Once the spores get into the soil, they are no longer able to get airborne, to infect new leaves. If proper care is taken, infected leaves are removed, the area around the trees mulched and with a simple spraying schedule, there should be a reduction in the severity of rust outbreaks...


Hi Pete,

I probably used the wrong word. When I said soil I actually meant the thick oak leaf and pine straw mulch that I have around all of my figs. As explained by Dr. Johnson infected leaves on the ground contain the spores which are distributed by rain splash and wind. I plan to remove any leaves that fall from now on. However I know that the spores will certainly fall off the dead fig leaves and be captured by the mulch surface. I was hoping a fungicidal spray to the mulch surface would kill any remaing spores.

I believe your logic is sound in regards to the way you are using the Bonide. I believe I will use it when I see rust forming. It may be present already with all the rain we have had. I'll try to look tonight when I get home. Are you spraying large in ground trees or all yours smaller container plants or ????? It may be exspensive for me to spray many inground trees.
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musillid

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Posted Reply with quote  #19 

Nice link, Pete and unfortunately all too familiar photo depictions.
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Dale
non compost mentis in Zone 6a
susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #20 
thank you. this is the kind of education i really need.

susie
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
ascpete

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Posted Reply with quote  #21 
Mike,
You're welcome. The removal of infected leaves is extremely important, It removes multiple sources of future infection (inoculation). I have observed this practice (infected plant material removal) in the local commercial apple orchard for years. Its one of the simplest means of combating plant disease.

Charles,
Once the spores fall to the mulch surface (ground), that allows them to be further washed down to the soil, they should no longer be able to get airborne. The soil microbes, bacteria will then be able to decompose them. The type of mulch would be part of the equation, nuggets or gravel or sod. I'm aware that this approach may not be viable for large in ground orchards, but some of these basic practices can be done in most home orchards. And by spraying the leaves, the source of new spores is greatly reduced.

I'm spraying potted plants not inground trees. Most of the in ground trees in NYC do not have a problem with rust. I didn't have a problem until I brought in purchased plants from Nurseries. The fungicidal spraying of large in ground trees could be a problem, but using some of the recommended practices (increasing air circulation) and maintaining a clean orchard (removing leaf litter) should help to reduce the severity of rust outbreaks. My comments on spraying are really directed towards potted and smaller trees not larger plantings and mature orchards.

Dale, Susie,
Thanks. You're welcome.
KK4DFU

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Posted Reply with quote  #22 
Just ordered some Bonide 811. Hopefully I can halt the damage. 
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Frank Montgomery County, MD Zone 6b Wish List: Sicilian Black,Nero 600M, Fico Genovese, Nordland, Any other interesting Mt. Etna varieties 
ascpete

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Posted Reply with quote  #23 
Since we are approaching the end of this season, at least in the north, I'm curious to see or hear about this year's Leaf Rust and any procedures that you may have used in combat. Thanks for comments.

I personally have not initiated a rust treatment schedule this year, due to concentration on better nutritional maintenance of the fig trees and a program of better Orchard hygiene. Although several plants have been inoculated, very few leaves have fallen due to being healthier (thicker) and more resistant to damage. Even with the almost daily rain showers, the leaves are doing much better than last year. The leaves that have been damaged by rust have been removed or portions cut away, to reduce spore inoculation.
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jpeg Leaf_FigsOnSouthPath_9-16-13.jpg (379.91 KB, 157 views)
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