Schütte is a disease of conifers: Varieties and signs

Conifers are an indispensable element of landscape design that creates an atmosphere of comfort, freshness and beauty. However, conifers also need careful maintenance and protection from various diseases that can worsen their appearance. One of the most common and dangerous diseases of conifers is shute, a group of fungal diseases that cause the needles to dry out and fall off.

 In this article, we will discuss the types and signs of shute, as well as ways to combat this disease.

What is Schutte and how does it occur?

 Schütte is a common name for a number of fungal diseases of conifers that cause damage to the needles and their death. The name comes from the German word schütten, which means “to pour”, “to crumble”. Schütte can affect various types of conifers, including pine, fir, spruce, cedar, cypress, thuja, juniper, etc. Schütte can be caused by various types of fungi, such as lophodermium, facidium, hypodermella, meria, diplodia, microsphere, rhizophaga, rhizosphere, sphenopsis, phomopsis, phomospore, fusarium, cercospora, cilindrocarpon, etc.

Each type of fungus has its own characteristics of development, distribution and symptoms, but common to all is that they use the needles as a source of nutrients and water, disrupting its structure and functions.

Schutte is caused by a fungus infection of the needles that is transferred from the air, fallen needles, damaged parts of the plant or other sources. The fungus enters the needles through microtraumas, pores, wounds or stomata (gas exchange holes). The fungus develops in the needles, producing mycelium (branching structure) and spores (reproductive elements). The fungus extracts water and nutrients from the needles, which leads to dryness, discolouration, deformation and death. The fungus also produces toxins that poison the plant and disrupt its physiological processes. The fungus spreads to other parts of the plant or to other plants through spores that are carried by wind, water, animals or people.

 What types of Schutte are there and what are the first signs?

 Schütte can be divided into different types according to different criteria, such as the type of fungus, the type of conifer, the time of development, the symptoms, etc. Here are some of them:

 Real. The first signs of the disease can be seen in spring. A white coating appears on the needles of conifers, after a certain period the coating darkens, and the needles turn brown and begin to crumble. In autumn, elongated black spots can be seen on the branches of needles remaining on the tree, which are the winter foci of the pathogens of true shute.

Brown.  On the surface of the branches of the affected plants, you can see a dense coating of black or brown cobwebs, the needles stick together and can remain on the tree for a long time.

Common spruce and pine needle shute. Causes the needles to change colour to red-brown, and black longitudinal stripes may appear, while the needles may not fall off for 1-2 years.

Snowy. This name of the disease comes from the way the disease penetrates – through the snow. The thickness of the snow is an ideal environment for the development of this fungus. The higher the snow cover, the more the tree is affected. The brown colour of the needles is the first symptom of snowy needle blight, as a rule, the disease affects the old branches of the tree.

Grey pine needle shute. Infected needles turn yellow and then grey. It most often affects larch, and has a high reproduction rate. If the tree is infected, black dots appear on the tips of the needles, the needles curl in places and turn brown.

The control of Schutte involves an integrated approach that includes prevention, diagnosis, monitoring

Prevention. This method consists in preventing the appearance and spread of shute by following the rules of agricultural technology, such as: choosing healthy and resistant varieties of conifers, observing optimal growing conditions, carrying out timely pruning, fertilising plants, keeping the garden clean and tidy, identifying and destroying infected plants, using biological protection products (for example, beneficial organisms that destroy fungi).

Diagnosis. This method consists in the timely detection of shute by carefully examining the plants for symptoms of the disease, such as: discolouration, dryness, deformation, needle death, spots, strokes, ulcers, passages on the needles or bark.

  Monitoring. This way is to control the effectiveness of the control of shute by periodically inspecting the plants for the condition of the needles, bark, trunk, branches, roots, as well as for the presence of fungi.

Of course, these are not all types of shute that cause damage to conifers in Ukraine, so we will certainly tell you more about this complex of diseases with similar symptoms and different pathogens.

Don’t neglect the first signs of schutte if you notice it on the surface of a tree, because it is a very dangerous disease that can cause the death of your coniferous plantations.

 Timely assistance is the key to saving trees and saving money. The best solution is to contact us by phone: +380632851405, because our team of specialists knows the secret of plant health and longevity.