Effect of Pruning Technique on Leucostoma Infection and Callus Formation over Wounds in Peach Trees. A. R. Biggs, Research Scientist, Agriculture Canada, Research Station, Vineland Station, Ontario L0R 2E0. . Plant Dis. 73:771-773. Accepted for publication 26 April 1989. Copyright 1989 Department of Agriculture, Government of Canada. DOI: 10.1094/PD-73-0771.

Peach trees were pruned annually for 3 yr to leave branch stubs, flush cuts, or the branch collar. The consequences of the pruning techniques were assessed each year by measuring incidence of visible necrosis and infection by Leucostoma spp., gum formation, and wound closure on tissue pruned the previous year. Trees pruned to leave the branch collar showed less gumming at wounds than flush cuts and yielded fewer isolates of Leucostoma spp. than both flush and stub cuts. Visible callus surrounded a greater portion of the wound circumference of flush cuts than of collar cuts. Stub cuts developed no visible wound callus on the cut surface.