Recognize reportable plant diseases - and act correctly

You are familiar with powdery mildew and apple scab.

What distinguishes reportable plant diseases from others - and how do you react in an emergency?

Well-known plant diseases are powdery mildew, gray mold * or apple scab.

These are annoying, but not dangerous for the soil or the environment.

As with humans and animals, however, there are also diseases that must be reported in plants.

Then the state or even the European Union intervene. 

Which plant diseases are notifiable and why?

All plant diseases and pests that have quarantine status or that have not yet occurred in Germany must be reported.

Many of these

,

to other plants, and can cause significant damage.

In addition, the pathogens or pests in Germany have no natural enemies if the disease was introduced through exotic plants.

Even chemical pesticides help only partially.

Usually the diseased plant has to be removed and burned so that the disease does not spread any further. 

Also read:

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These reportable plant diseases exist

• Fire blight:

  Rose plants in particular - such as apples, cherries or hawthorn - are susceptible to fire blight. As the name suggests, infected flowers and leaves look very dried up, almost burned. You can also recognize the disease by the black-brown colored stems and leaves. The main veins of the leaves also turn dark. A sticky, milky bacterial slime is another indication of fire blight. If the disease is already well advanced, the wood under the bark turns reddish-brown.

• Sharka disease:

  You can recognize an infection with Sharka disease by fuzzy, light olive-green rings or spots on the leaves.

  Infested fruits have sunken areas and their flesh is red and rubbery.

  Plums, plums, mirabelle plums and apricots are particularly affected by this reportable plant disease.

• Blue mold:

  The blue mold is reminiscent of powdery mildew.

  The plant disease occurs mainly in tobacco plants.

  Leaves that have been infected by the fungus roll up at the edge, have bulges or light spots.

  Another symptom is the so-called fungal lawn, a white coating on the underside of the leaf.

• San José scale insect:

  If a plant is infected by the San José scale insect, a crust or wax layer forms on the affected areas.

  The lice live under this crust.

  The bast fabric inside the branches is reddish in color.

  You can recognize the scale insect larvae as small red dots between June and October.

  They attack the leaves and fruits. 

• Phylloxera:

  Vine plantations in particular suffer from so-called root

  phylloxera

  .

  It causes wart-like nodules along the roots. 

• Potato cancer:

  The potato cancer is actually a fungus and only infects potatoes.

  The tubers form large growths.

  This plant disease is notifiable because it can contaminate the soil of the infected plants for up to 40 years.

Also interesting:

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Where do I report a fire blight and the like?

Regardless of whether you are a farmer or hobby gardener, if you discover one of the above diseases on your plants, you must report it.

Every federal state has a

that records your findings and advises you on how to proceed.

For example, a quarantine zone could be written out around the infested property. 

In Bavaria, the Bavarian State Agency for Agriculture is responsible

.

She forwards the reported plant disease to the Plant Health Institute of the Federal Research Institute Julius-Kühne (JKI).

This in turn checks whether the report needs to be forwarded to the European Plant Protection Authority (EPPO). 

At the first sign of a reportable plant disease, remove the infected parts of the plant immediately and generously.

Then burn the cut leaves, flowers and branches.

Under no circumstances should you dispose of the infected parts of the plant on the compost.

This is how bacteria and pests spread.

Disinfect the garden tool with 70 percent alcohol.

If you are unsure whether the signs are a reportable plant disease, consult specialist books or apps.

Just to be on the safe side, ask a knowledgeable gardener.