Studies of the Epidemiology and Management of Tranzschelia discolor in Almonds

Rust is a major disease of almonds. To improve disease management, studies were conducted on the disease cycle, cultivar susceptibility, alternative hosts and new fungicides. Key findings include that rust survives over winter on retained leaves and does not infect stone fruit. Removing retained leaves should reduce infection of new leaves in spring. Almond cultivars vary in susceptibility to rust however resistant cultivars were not identified. New fungicides were identified that could be used by growers to improve disease control.