Source:  NCSU COOPERATIVE EXTENSION, 4/20/21

On most cultivars in Western NC, petal fall is quickly approaching or has come and gone without too much disease concerns to this point. In the south, petal fall is normally the time we begin the transition from intensive “early season” disease management to intensive “summer disease”  management programs. However, given the cool and relatively dry weather throughout much of April, I’d strongly encourage you to continue to focus on early season diseases-in particular apple scab. Similarly to this time last year, there have only been 7 primary scab infection events so far in 2021. Unlike recent years in which ascospores (overwintering spores that cause the primary or initial infections) have fully matured and have been released by the petal fall stage, there are still ascospores that will be released during the next daytime rain (rainfall greater than 0.1 inch). This next rainfall, is predicted for April 23, so you still have a few days to take action!

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