Is This Caused by Powdery Mildew?

[DrDirtNap]

I have several newly planted apple and crabapple trees this year that look like this.

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[Turkey Creek]

Not that I know of and I have the exact same issue that has affected all my my trees growing on dwarfing root stock for the past 2 years. I hope to get the facts to resolve the issue shortly. After all my research I believe it is a Zinc deficiency in my soil, look up "Little Leaf" issues in fruit trees. My problem in getting this resolved is that I live in area that is not known for growing apples, hoping to work with a specialist next week to get it figured out.

 

[DrDirtNap]

Please keep me posted on what you find out. This is really weird. Several of my trees look this way but I have others that look fine.


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[Turkey Creek]

It only affects my B9 root stock trees (dwarf) in my nursery every tree in the row is the same condition. Doesnt happen to any of my semi dwarf trees 2' away in the next row that are perfectly happy and healthy.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Not saying this is a 100% accurate, just relaying what a guy who has been in the fruit tree business for 30+ years just told me. He said when those small leaves appear like that, but remain green it could very well be a Zinc deficiency. Symptoms are normally on all leaves though. A soil test which includes Zinc level can help rule it out. He also told me that Zinc deficiency in a tree cannot be corrected long term by a foliar micro nutrient spray only, as the Zinc remains mostly in the leaves and is not absorbed back into the "system".

However, when the leaves appear (like those in your picture and what I have at my house) and then get brown edges and eventually die back that is likely the result of some herbicide uptake the PREVIOUS year. Can even be Roundup drift from the year before. He says a young tree will pull that herbicide drift into the root system and then it will get pushed back to the leaves in the spring. Most of the time on larger trees it will only be apparent on the lowest branches.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Here is a link to an article I just found. I still think there is more to my issues than just the Glyphosate, but it could definitely be contributing.

http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/glyphosate_damage_in_apple_and_cherry_orchards

 

[Turkey Creek]

Man sometimes I cant believe how you search and search for info on the web and nothing pops out that you care about and then you stumble across the secret phrase or word and everything starts appearing before your eyes. I believe I just answered my own question.

From Good Fruit Grower (trade publication)

Besides being perhaps the most effective and nonselective plant killer ever devised—and thus worthy of respect when it is applied near any desirable plant—glyphosate has been linked to many other indirect or subtle effects. In recently published scientific reports, use of glyphosate has been linked to:

• An increase in plant diseases, including cankers in fruit, caused by reduced resistance to diseases and pests
• An increase in bark cracking and brittleness in tree trunks
• A tying-up of nutritionally important minerals, resulting in less thrifty plants and a decrease in the nutritional quality of the crops produced by these plants. This property, chelation, is the mode by which glyphosate kills plants.
• The destruction of important soil flora, plants that are important in nitrogen fixation, mineralization, and other soil fertility processes

Moreover, glyphosate is cumulative in both plant tissue and in the soil. Repeated applications add to previous doses, so even minor drift can add up to problems in future years. Glyphosate injury is often attributed to other causes such as drought, high temperatures, water fluctuations, or cool soils.

 

[DrDirtNap]

the symptomology definitely looks similar to what is caused by glyphosate. I just planted these trees this past winter....I wonder if it could be in the trees from a spray application that occurred at the vendor's location last year?

 

[Turkey Creek]

the symptomology definitely looks similar to what is caused by glyphosate. I just planted these trees this past winter....I wonder if it could be in the trees from a spray application that occurred at the vendor's location last year?

Possible. Glyphosate is widely used and is perfectly safe under most circumstances, but drift does happen.