How to Manage Pests

UC Pest Management Guidelines

Peach

Crown Gall

Pathogen: Agrobacterium tumefaciens

(Reviewed 4/10, updated 4/10, pesticides updated 9/15)

In this Guideline:

SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS

Crown gall appears as rough, abnormal galls on roots or trunk. Galls are soft and spongy. The center of older galls decay. Young trees become stunted; older trees often develop secondary wood rots.

COMMENTS ON THE DISEASE

The bacteria survive in gall tissue and in soil. Crown gall is most damaging to young trees, either in the nursery or new orchard plantings. All peach rootstocks are susceptible to crown gall.

MANAGEMENT

The incidence of crown gall can be reduced by planting noninfected, "clean" trees. It is also important to carefully handle trees to avoid injury as much as possible, both at planting and during the life of the tree in the orchard. Preplant, preventive dips or sprays with a biological control agent are available and may be helpful in some orchards. Generally, by the time crown gall is evident in a peach orchard, it is usually best to tolerate the problem for the few remaining years of orchard life or just remove the orchard and start anew.

When replanting a previously affected site, remove as many of the old tree roots as possible, grow a grass rotation crop to help degrade leftover host material and reduce pathogen levels, and offset the new trees from the previous tree spacing to minimize contact of healthy new roots with any infested roots that may remain.

Common name		Amount to use	REI‡	PHI‡
(Example trade name)			(hours)	(days)
UPDATED: 9/15
When choosing a pesticide, consider its usefulness in an IPM program by reviewing the pesticide's properties, efficacy, application timing, and information relating to resistance management, honey bees (PDF), and environmental impact. Not all registered pesticides are listed. Always read the label of the product being used.
A.	AGROBACTERIUM TUMEFACIENS-84#
	(Galltrol-A)	Label rates	12	0
	COMMENTS: Preventive preplant treatment only.
B.	GALLEX	Label rates	24	0
	COMMENTS: For removal of existing galls, apply winter through spring.
#	Acceptable for use on organically grown produce.
‡	Restricted entry interval (REI) is the number of hours (unless otherwise noted) from treatment until the treated area can be safely entered without protective clothing. Preharvest interval (PHI) is the number of days from treatment to harvest. In some cases the REI exceeds the PHI. The longer of two intervals is the minimum time that must elapse before harvest.

PUBLICATION

UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines: Peach
UC ANR Publication 3454

Diseases

J. E. Adaskaveg, Plant Pathology, UC Riverside
R. A. Duncan, UC Cooperative Extension Stanislaus County
J. K. Hasey, UC Cooperative Extension Sutter/Yuba counties
K. R. Day, UC Cooperative Extension Tulare County

Acknowledgment for contributions to Diseases:

Top of page