ASSESSMENT OF THE SPREAD OF FIRE BLIGHT IN WILD APPLE FORESTS OF KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

Erwinia amylovora is a dangerous pathogen that causes fire blight in fruit trees. As this pathogen has started to spread in the territory of Kazakhstan, it poses a significant threat to cultivated and wild apple (Malus sieversii) forests. Currently there is no effective treatment for widespread types of fire blight, it can be prevented only by early diagnosis. Although much research has focused on the detection of fire blight in cultivated apple orchards, little attention has been paid to controlling wild apple populations. Therefore, a comprehensive four-year monitoring study was conducted in four protected areas of Kazakhstan to determine the spread of fire blight on wild apple trees. During several years of inspections, Malus sieversii trees showed no obvious signs of fire blight. These observations were further confirmed by lateral flow immunochromatography as well as by conventional and real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis performed on asymptomatic samples. The results of this study are of great importance for nature protection, providing invaluable information about the current state of fire blight in wild apple forests of Kazakhstan. Therefore, these data provide a basis for formulating science-based recommendations to government agencies to take proactive measures aimed at limiting the spread of fire blight in these ecologically important ecosystems.

Keywords: Malus sieversii, Erwinia amylovora, wild apple forests, fire blight, nature conservation, specially protected natural areas.