Smith recommends following directions and using the buffer that comes with the product. BEST ANSWER: It is an antibiotic, because fire blight is a bacterial infection. Smith notes this research on alternatives to antibiotics has been ongoing for a dozen years or more as new products and options became available for testing. Read the Kasumin label carefully as there are some specifications, including: The main difference between Kasumin and streptomycin is that Kasumin is not partially systemic like streptomycin is. Thus, Kasumin will not penetrate into the nectaries and will not be able to control an infection once the fire blight pathogen reaches the nectaries. Applications made after bloom period will still prevent secondary twig infections. However, streptomycin and Kasumin can be used effectively after E. amylovora cells have arrived and started growing on stigmas. In the spring people aren’t just trying to control fire blight and fire blight alone. This is because where we have detected streptomycin resistance in orchards in Michigan, the incidence of resistant bacterial pathogen strains is usually very high to 100%. Both fruits are vulnerable to a nasty disease called fire blight that can devastate orchards. In organic programs, where biological materials are important components, spray applications based only on the model warnings will likely be too late to achieve effective control. Per the label, a maximum of 1.5 pounds per acre can be applied, using 150 gallons water in this case. In California, average daily temperatures or degree-hours are used to schedule fire blight sprays. Oxytetracycline is also highly sensitive to degradation by sunlight and much of the activity is lost within one to two days after application. Therefore, if an application is made on April 28 or 29, a second application may be needed on the most sensitive trees. MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer, committed to achieving excellence through a diverse workforce and inclusive culture that encourages all people to reach their full potential. More Consistent Than Oxytetracycline May 21, 2019. Biological control of E. amylovora is an important alternative to conventional antibiotics in managing fire blight disease [19]. Researchers across the country have been developing alternative fire blight control programs. Fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) can be the most damaging pathogen to apple trees in Montana (Zidack et al.). This resource incorporates practices growers may already be doing along with the research out of the western states and the OREI project on alternatives. He says the lack of consistent results, along with the phase-out of antibiotics this fall, led Sundin and Grieshop to seek out how to apply what has worked in the West to Michigan. These materials are natural compounds produced by naturally occurring soil microorganisms. When the EIP is high and rain events are forecasted, the application of streptomycin or Kasumin would be best about 24 hours before the rain event and then followed up about one to two days after the rain event. Heather Ainsworth/New York Times We couldn’t improve on their suggestions,” he says. George Sundin, a professor in the Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences Department at Michigan State University and Matthew Grieshop, an associate professor in MSU’s Organic Pest Management lab will be working on the project. To my knowledge it won't hurt honey bees, and i sprayed trees in bloom with it, but you may want to check with bee experts or county extension offices. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. Under these conditions, the two most important considerations are very tight spray intervals and excellent spray coverage. “Some growers in the wrong climate or with the wrong cultivar might have to switch back to conventional, but if there is a strong market (as there is this year), it is likely that losses in organic production will be filled by someone else.”. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Here is a round-up of promising research underway to provide organic growers with alternatives to antibiotics. Contains streptomycin sulfate that is effective in treating various bacterial infections. So organic labeling standards allow for antibiotics to be … Streptomycin is an excellent fire blight material, provides forward control for two to four days prior to rain events and will be effective for blossom blight control if applied within 12-24 hours after a rain event. It reduces strikes only by 40 to 50% but may be useful any time antibiotics cannot be applied within 48 hours of an infection period, such as in large blocks that take a long time to spray. The phase-out of antibiotic use in organic orchards has been anticipated by growers and researchers for quite some time, and researchers throughout the country have been investigating organic options to provide growers with answers before a complete loss of oxytetracycline and streptomycin. Fire blight can be a devastating bacterial disease to apple and pear trees, no matter what region. Plants or trees should be inspected routinely for th… In 2000, a fire blight epidemic wiped out over 400,000 apple trees in southwestern Michigan alone, causing an estimated $42 million in damages. Fire blight management is multifaceted, with antibiotics being just one component (Johnson and Stockwell 1998, van der Zwet and Beer 1991). Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned. Johnson says the end goal of this project is devise integrated programs that prevent fire blight and do not cause russetting. New products with a lower metallic-copper concentrations, such as Cueva and Previsto, are being tested during and after bloom and so far show reduced, but not zero, risk of russet. Applpy over at Thought + Food recently published an interesting article talking about increased antibiotic use in organic pear and apple orchards. Biopesticides should be used as part of an integrated fire blight management program, which includes using a risk assessment model, as well as cultural controls and antibiotics when necessary. Symptoms of fire blight can be observed on all above ground tissues including blossoms, fruits, shoots, branches and limbs, and in the rootstock near the graft union on the lower trunk. The Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission and companies have helped to support seeking out effective alternatives. David Granatstein, sustainable agriculture specialist with Washington State University in Wenatchee, WA, and Harold Ostenson, organic tree fruit consultant, partnered with The Organic Center to provide organic apple and pear growers with information on non-antibiotic options in one place via the publication they wrote titled “Grower Lessons and Emerging Research for Developing an Integrated Non-Antibiotic Fire Blight Control Program in Organic Fruit”. The timing of the first application is critical. Growers in northern states are combating virulent outbreaks of fire blight, a disease becoming resistant to antibiotics, as seasons grow warmer and orchards have been reconfigured for higher yields. Sanitation, the removal of diseased tissues, is the most important practice for fire blight control. Summary of antibiotic use for fire blight management. One means of controlling fire blight, an antibiotic chemical called streptomycin, is set to be phased out … Regardless, oxytetracycline, streptomycin, or kasugamycin should be applied prior to infection events as suggested by disease forecasting tools. Michigan’s more-humid climate can cause copper applications to dry slowly, says Sundin. Streptomycin is used at a rate of 24 ounces per acre and should be applied with a non-ionic surfactant such as Regulaid (1 pint per 100 gallons). 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