Olive Tree Black Fungus
The black knot fungus overwinters in the galls on branches and trunks.
Olive tree black fungus. The black scale saissetia oleae olivier 1791 also known as caparreta is considered one of the main pests of the olive tree grove. Black olive can be treated with a dormant oil spray while still dormant in the spring to prevent pests. The wind carries these spores to trees where they infect young green shoots or wounded branches. Spores are released during wet periods in the spring.
Black scale usually has one generation per year in interior valley olive growing districts. There is no way to control diplodia canker. Dark green to black round spots appear on the leaves. This disease is caused by spilocaea oleaginea a fungus.
These cankers kill small shoots as well as branches. Black scale prefers dense unpruned portions of trees. Not only does this substance attract ants it leaves a heavy film on the olive tree s leaves. These sugars are the ideal substrate for the sooty mould fungus that can cause significant damage.
At first affected trees and leaves glisten and then become sooty and black in appearance as sooty mould fungus grows on the honeydew. During its activity it feeds on the sap of the olive tree and excretes sugars on the olive leaves. Diplodiae fungus enters the galls formed from olive knot and then enters the tree and forms a canker. And this film can encourage a sooty fungus to grow.
As it turns out these bumps are known as black scale saissetia oleae a parasitic insect. In cooler coastal regions multiple generations occur. Black knot is caused by the fungus apiosporina morbosa. Leaf spot is also known as peacock spot olive leaf spot and bird s eye spot.
Ants may be further controlled with bait stations. And as these scalesfeed on your olive tree they excrete a sweet sticky honeydew like substance. Open airy trees rarely support populations of black scale.