Asian pear rust

Question: I believe the hair-like orange protrusions from my Asian pear trees are infected with "Aslan Pear Rust." I'm in the process of removing all pears with the orange protrusions. The leaves appear healthy and unaffected by this condition. Beyond removing infected fruit, and making sure the ground is free of leaves and fallen fruit, is there anything more that can be done at this point to ensure a healthy harvest this summer?
A second question concerns prevention: What can I do next spring to minimize the threat of reinfection?
Note: when I search the web, most of the articles I've found on Asian pear rust deal with the leaves, more so than the fruit.
Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

responder: Answered by theHome and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied June 16, 2023, 12:10 PM EDT
response: This is a classic symptom of a fungal rust disease, most likely Quince Rust. Rust diseases on fruit are unusual in that they need and use two alternate hosts to complete their life cycle.  You can learn more about rusts in this Ohio State University article.  Fungicide treatments sometimes help prevent rust infection, but they must be applied well prior to symptom appearance, and caution must be used during tree flowering since we don't want those applications to harm pollinators. Fungicides are not curative so several reapplications each season may be needed to effectively suppress the disease, starting very early in the season.  Unfortunately, once symptoms manifest, as they are here, no treatment will be effective.  At this point just pull any fruits showing symptoms and put them in the trash. Check the ground for fallen fruits as well.  (For future reference, the most practical approach to dealing with rust since it's such a widespread disease is to select cultivars of fruit trees resistant to infection in the first place, though admittedly there aren't many for certain tree species.)    For next season, here is a link to VA Tech's home fruit pest management guide (see section 3, page 87). It has good information on apple/pear pests and diseases and when to spray for them: https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/456/456-018/ENTO-336.pdf Follow the VA Tech spray schedule for apples to prevent/control controlling rust but note that Immunox is not labeled for pear, so use an alternative fungicide like Captan or Mancozeb.   Christine

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 17, 2023, 4:39 PM EDT
response: Thank you for the reply. I've removed all infected fruit from my Asian Pear trees and made sure the ground is free of all debris. I assume that is all that can be done this season.However, I would appreciate any advice on what to do next spring, even before any foliage appears.Could you suggest one or more fungicides that will not harm wildlife, especially bees and other polinators?Many years ago, I coated fruit trees in late winter with dormant oil. Does dormant oil act as a funticide? I've also had luck using pure neem oil - not the extract sold in Home Depot - to control insect pests in a vegetable garden. Would neem oil be effective as a dormant oil/fungicide if applied in late winter or early spring?Thank you again and looking forward to your reply.   On Friday, June 16, 2023 at 12:10:36 PM EDT, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied June 19, 2023, 10:05 AM EDT
response: Hi- for next season, here is a link to VA Tech's home fruit pest management guide (see section 3, page 87). It has good information on pear pests and diseases and when to spray for them: https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/456/456-018/ENTO-336.pdf Follow the VA Tech spray schedule for apples to prevent/control controlling rust but note that Immunox is not labeled for pear, so use an alternative fungicide like Captan or Mancozeb. These are synthetic fungicides and they can be somewhat harmful to pollinators. Unfortunately, organic fungicides like sulfur are not very effective against rust disease and can burn flowers, fruits, and leaves.  Dormant oil can be helpful in controlling insect pests and apple scab. We don't see it recommended for rust control but it may have some effectiveness. Jon