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Prohexadione-Ca (Apogee®) was tested as a growth retardant and fire-blight control agent in the pear (Pyrus communis L. cv. Abbé Fétel) on both bearing trees in the orchard and on 1-year-old scions under greenhouse conditions. Four sprays of 50 and 100 mg·L-1 of the chemical were applied to trees in the orchard at 2-week intervals starting at petal fall, when terminal growth was 4 cm (mid-April). Scions received a single application (250 mg·L-1) and were transferred 2 weeks later to a greenhouse where the shoots were inoculated with a local, virulent strain of Erwinia amylovora (Burrill) Winslow et al. In the orchard, the higher prohexadione-Ca concentration was more effective in reducing shoot growth, enhancing fruit weight and controlling fire blight incidence and severity. Similar effects on growth parameters and disease progression were observed under greenhouse conditions. Chemical name used: calcium 3-oxido-4-propionyl-5-oxo-3-cyclohexene carboxylate (prohexadione-Ca)
Agrobacterium radiobacter (Beijerinc and van Delden) Conn strain K-84 failed to control raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) crown gall caused by A. tumefaciens (E.F. Smith and Townsend) Conn. Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains isolated from galls on plants that had been treated with K-84 were not sensitive to agrocin 84 in vitro. These strains were isolated from `Titan' and `Hilton' raspberry in New York state and from `Himbo Queen' and `Schönemann' raspberry in Italy. Almost all strains were identified as A. tumefaciens biovar 2. Raspberry crown gall was not controlled by K-84 in three field experiments in New York state. In two of the experiments, plants were produced by micropropagation and were known to be pathogen-free. The other plant source was shown to be contaminated with the pathogen before treatment with K-84. Crown gall was not controlled either on raspberry in a greenhouse experiment or on Kalanchoe diagremintiana (Hamet. and Perrier) plants that were coinoculated with K-84 and strains of A. tumefaciens isolated from galls on raspberry.