Bacteria fire addressed in Maasheggen

Fire blight, a plant disease that is particularly dangerous for fruit growing, also broke out again last summer in the Maasheggen area. Hedges infected with the bacterium can be recognized by the rapid wilting and withering of young shoots and blossoms. Previously, inspection and control of the bacteria was provided by fruit tree cultivation (NAK-Tuinbouw). In recent years, however, fruit tree cultivation has moved to areas outside the Maasheggen. This removed the direct importance for control in the Maasheggen.

With the elimination of inspections funded by the fruit tree industry, a solution had to be found to continue the important inspections in the future. The area is vulnerable to the bacteria, in part because hawthorns have been planted in the area in the past that were not area-specific and therefore more susceptible.

Landschapsbeheer Boxmeer (SlaBox) put its money where its mouth was and offered to inspect the area with groups of volunteers. Divided into two groups, they toured the area almost every Thursday and Sunday morning from June through September in search of infected hawthorns. Affected hawthorns were cut away and pruned. The affected sections were then dried, collected and destroyed for several weeks.

With the start of fall, the risk of fire blight decreases again and a plan is being made to get inspections funded in the future as well. This includes looking at how an outbreak can possibly be prevented. Use of clean disinfected equipment when maintaining the hedges is very important.

Want to learn more about fire blight or have ideas on how we can better protect the area in the future? If so, contact Marius Grutters, a SlaBox board member and participant in the national fire blight working group.