Bacteriophage Product Now Available for Fire Blight Control in Apples and Pears

Following EPA approval last fall,  Certis USA has released a new tool in the fight against fire blight (Erwinia amylovara) with AgriPhage-Fire Blight. The product is targeted use on apple and pear crops in Washington, New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan during the 2019 growing season.

Advertisement

AgriPhage utilizes bacteriophages, known as “bacteria eaters,” which are naturally occurring organisms that infect and kill only targeted bacteria. AgriPhage-Fire Blight is the first and only bacteriophage product approved for use against fire blight.

“Equally alarming to the spread of fire blight in apple and pear orchards is the increasing resistance of the disease to antibiotics and other conventional controls,” stated Mike Allan, Certis Vice-President, North America, in a prepared news release.

Certis believes AgriPhage is a key element in unlocking answers for growers who are experiencing fire blight resistance in the face of traditional antibiotic treatments.

NOP-approved for use in organic agriculture, AgriPhage OP-approved for use in organic agriculture. The entire line of AgriPhage products available from Certis USA are exempt from residue tolerance and maximum residue limits and have only a four-hour re-entry interval for farmworkers. AgriPhage-Fire Blight can be applied alone or in combination with approved tank-mix partners for maximum fire blight control.

Top Articles
Indoor Farming Insider Talks About Evolution of the Sector

0