Articles
PRESENT WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION OF FIRE BLIGHT
By 1950, fire blight had also been reported from New Zealand (1919), Bermuda (1938), and Mexico (1943).
Sometime during the mid 1950’s, fire blight was spread on contaminated fruit, crates or budwood to two new long-distance locations: England (1957) and Egypt (1964). During the next 40 years, the disease spread from these new centers to a total of 34 countries today (Table 1).
Thus, to date in Europe, fire blight has not been reported from (alphabetically): Albania, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.
Of the independent countries of the former Soviet Union, fire blight was observed (correspondence) in Moldavia but never formally reported.
Following a response to a questionnaire survey to all countries with fire blight, it is apparent (as expected) that the disease is most prevalent and severe in regions with warm, humid climates.
It appears that the northern half of Europe (above 48th parallel) has much less problem with the disease than the southern half, including the eastern Mediterranean region.
Countries (like Egypt) with fairly warm winter temperatures will experience a higher primary inoculum level in the spring.
The following apple: Braeburn, Cox, Gala, Gloster, Idared, James Grieve, Jonagold, Jonathan, McIntosh and pear: Beurre Bosc, Beurre Durondeau, Comice, Conference, General Leclerc, Herzogin Elsa, Hosiu, Nijisseiki, Passe Crassane, Precoce de Trevoux, Williams varieties reportedly are considered the most susceptible in Europe.
In England and Wales, nearly all Perry pears and some late flowering cider apples (Chisel Jersey and Yarlington Mill) are very susceptible to the disease.
With the rapid spread of fire blight through Turkey (1987–89) from west to east and the recent appearances in Armenia (1990) and in Iran (1994), it is apparent that the disease will continue its journey eastward across the Asian continent.