A phenomenon is killing young apple trees in orchards in the Finger Lakes region and many other places.

Apple growers and specialists in many states are seeing an alarming increase in the numbers of orchards, mostly young orchards, where trees are declining or dying. The phenomenon that shows up in young tree trunks is called Sudden Apple Decline (SAD) because affected trees seem to decline very rapidly. Affected orchards are in New York state including in the Finger Lakes region where experts at Cornell University and its extension specialists are working on finding the cause to save trees. “We are trying collectively to get a handle on what are the common factors,” said Tess Grasswitz, an integrated pest management specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension. She said apple growers are being surveyed to provide insight into what is going on. Surveys through mail and online began in the middle of this summer, and responses are just beginning to come back, she said. Sudden Apple Decline seems most common in dense orchards, but other than that, not much else is known. “It’s a concern,” said Grasswitz, who is with the Lake Ontario Fruit program. Possible causes being explored include: blight; injury from herbicides; harm from boring insects; winter injury; drought stress; various tree diseases; pathogens; and apple viruses. The trade show and educational conference is for producers in New York state as well as neighboring states and eastern Canada. The expo typically offers more than 100 presentations by Cornell Cooperative Extension personnel and experts from across the country. Panel discussions feature top industry experts and growers in New York state. Between educational sessions, attendees can visit the trade show featuring over 150 commercial vendors and non-profit exhibitors. This fall, forecasters estimated a crop of 28 million bushels of apples in New York. The projected 2017 crop of 1.1 billion pounds is about average size for the state, according to the New York Apple Association. The state “has generally had favorable weather from spring bloom throughout the growing season, so apple fans should find ample supplies of all their favorite New York varieties,” the NYAA reported. New York produces more apples than any other state east of the Mississippi River. “New York has perfect geography and climate for growing apples, and that shows in both the wide variety and the great eating quality of the apples we grow here,” stated NYAA President Cynthia Haskins. Grasswitz couldn’t say what if any effect SAD might have on future apple crops. David Rosenberger, Professor Emeritus Cornell University’s Hudson Valley Lab, wrote about SAD in a recent publication. “Growers who are investing up to $30,000 per acre in new plantings should be asking tough questions,” he wrote. “Perhaps no one has all of the answers at this point,” added Rosenberger, highlighting that trees need healthy trunks to survive and thrive. Source - http://www.mpnnow.com