Cultural control (Sooty blotch and fly speck)

• Select an orchard site that has good sunlight, good air circulation and soil drainage.
• Prune trees to reduce shading and encourage good air circulation.
• Both sooty blotch and fly speck are encouraged by shading and wet conditions.
• Therefore, any pruning that opens up the trees and encourages good air circulation and rapid drying will reduce the diseases.
• Fruit thinning to aid air circulation around fruit will also reduce disease.
• Good weed control under the trees to promote air circulation will also help.
• Ideally, elimination of wild reservoir hosts to reduce inoculum is required.
• However, this is impractical and not conducive to good environmental practices.
• Mowing banks and keeping hedgerows well trimmed may help.
• Some sooty blotch on fruit can be rubbed off during grading.