Curliness in peach

Causal agent: Tafrina deformans – fungus

Hosts: peach, nectarine, apricot

Symptoms:

Single or multiple, pale green, pale yellow or scarlet-red swellings on the upper side of the leaves, which on the underside  are sunken. The tissues are dense, rough and corrugated in a wavy manner;

The damage may affect the entire leaf blade, as a result of which the leaves become necrotic and fall off.

A whitish coating is formed on the infected tissues;

Swellings may also form on the shoots and fruits.

Life cycle

The causal agent overwinters as ascospores between the bud scales or on the bark of infected shoots. Infections occur early in spring, with the bud burst of the leaf buds.

Control:

Autumn-winter sprays. If the autumn spraying has been omitted, treatment may be carried out up to bud swelling with 1% Bordeaux mixture, which is also effective against the causal agents of blossom blight (early brown rot) and shot-hole of stone fruits.