Apple farmers in Van Buren and Berrien counties in southwestern Michigan are hoping to persuade the federal government to declare their farms disaster areas, entitling them to aid farm officials say may be a last lifeline for some growers. It could put some of the very best growers right out of business.
Fire blight is caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora .
The disease affects primarily apple and pear trees and is spread by insects and often enters blooms or leaves damaged by wind or hail. It destroys tissue it infects, killing blossoms and shoots, sometimes progressing into the tree and its roots. Badly infected trees look like they have been burned. Strains of fire blight that have become resistant to antibiotic sprays have slowly spread in area orchards, but a 18 May 2000 storm that produced hail and high winds is blamed with sparking the huge outbreak. The major damage is in Van Buren and Berrien counties, but fire blight has appeared in Allegan, Cass and Kalamazoo counties too, officials say.