Diplocarpon mali found in Sachsen, Germany
At the end of summer 2012, the presence of Diplocarpon mali (anamorph: Marssonina coronaria – EPPO Alert List) was first reported in Germany (EPPO RS 2013/103). The fungus was found on apple trees (Malus domestica) at several locations in Hesse and Baden-Württemberg. On 2014-08-18, the fungus was also found on apple trees grown in a research institution in Sachsen (Saxony). Affected trees showed black spots on the leaves, yellowing and defoliation on single branches or the entire crown. The disease was observed in patches in a lot of 2;500 trees. The origin of this infestation is unknown. The research institution was advised to spray fungicides and fallen leaves were destroyed. An Express-PRA was carried out and can be found on the JKI website: http://pflanzengesundheit.jki.bund.de/dokumente/upload/47ac9_marssonina_coronaria_express-pra-en.pdf
The general conclusion of this PRA was that D. mali presents a medium risk to Germany and other European countries, but that the efficacy of phytosanitary measures to prevent its further spread is questionable.
The pest status of Diplocarpon mali in Germany is officially declared as: Present, in parts of the area (Baden-Wuerttemberg, Hesse, Saxony).
Sources
NPPO of Germany (2014-09).