VAAD Launches Monitoring of Bacterial Blight: 38 Foci and Buffer Zones to Be Checked

The State Plant Protection Service (VAAD) has started monitoring bacterial blight today to assess the spread of the disease and prevent further contamination. At the beginning of the season, there are 38 active bacterial blight foci. Inspections will take place in the municipalities of Ventspils, Kuldīga, Tukums, Dobele, Jelgava, Bauska, Ķekava, Ādaži, Cēsis, and Augšdaugava, as well as in Riga and Jelgava.

VAAD inspectors will inspect various host plant sites, including home gardens, commercial orchards, parks, and roadside plantings. Special attention will be paid to previously detected foci and their buffer zones within a three-kilometer radius.

To accurately confirm infection, a plant sample must be taken and tested at the National Phytosanitary Laboratory. Only VAAD inspectors are authorized to collect samples, as the reliability of test results depends on proper collection and storage. If laboratory tests confirm the presence of bacterial blight, infected plants must be destroyed as quickly as possible to prevent the bacteria from spreading via wind, bees, other pollinators, or tools.

Residents suspecting infected plants are urged to contact their nearest VAAD regional office immediately. The Plant Protection Law provides for compensation for destroyed plants if the necessary conditions are met.

Bacterial blight, caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, is a devastating disease affecting rosaceous fruit trees and ornamental shrubs, such as apple, pear, mountain ash, and hawthorn. The disease significantly reduces yield and aesthetic value, gradually leading to plant death. In Latvia and several other European countries, it holds a protected zone quarantine organism status.