Podosphaera leucotricha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Podosphaera leucotricha |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Podosphaera
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| Species: |
leucotricha
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| Synonyms | |
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Albugo leucotricha (Ellis & Everh.) Kuntze, (1892) |
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Podosphaera leucotricha is a tiny fungus that causes a plant disease called powdery mildew. This disease mainly affects apple and pear trees. It can make the fruit look bad and harm the trees.
Contents
Why This Fungus Matters
Podosphaera leucotricha can cause big problems for fruit farmers. When apples get powdery mildew, they can develop a rough, net-like pattern on their skin. This is called "russeting." This damage can cut the value of the fruit in half.
Farmers sometimes have to spray their orchards many times during the growing season to control this fungus. This costs a lot of money. Because of this, P. leucotricha causes big economic losses for apple and pear growers.
Plants It Affects and What It Looks Like
Powdery mildew is a major disease for apple trees around the world. It is caused by Podosphaera leucotricha, which is a type of fungus that needs a living plant to survive.
Main Host Plants
While apples are the main target, this fungus can also infect other fruit trees. These include:
- Quince (Cydonia oblonga)
- Peach (Prunus persica)
- Plum (Prunus domestica)
- Pear (Pyrus)
- Medlar (Mespilus germanica)
How It Harms Plants
On apple trees, the fungus attacks new growth. This includes twigs, leaves, flowers, and fruits. When a plant is infected, it cannot make food as well as it should. This means it grows less and becomes weaker.
Symptoms on Different Plant Parts
Podosphaera leucotricha causes many different signs of disease.
- On stems: Stems might wilt or change color.
- On leaves: Leaves can wilt and curl up.
- On flowers: Flowers may look deformed. Their petals might be pale green or yellow. They can also be covered in a white, powdery layer of fungus and spores.
- On fruit: Fruit can get a net-like russeting pattern. It might also become deformed or misshapen.
Stages of Mildew
The symptoms can change depending on how far along the disease is.
- Primary mildew: This appears early, when the flower buds are just starting to show pink. The flowers become deformed and covered in white fungus.
- Secondary mildew: This appears later. You might see yellow spots on the top surface of leaves. Leaves can also become twisted and fall off the tree too early.
See also
In Spanish: Podosphaera leucotricha para niños
