'Apple decline' in the Okanagan Valley

'Apple Decline,' also known as 'rapid apple decline' or 'sudden apple decline' has been reported over the last several years in apple growing regions across North America, and in 2018 it became a major issue in British Columbia. Typically, the trees die back within 2-3 weeks of the first symptoms appearing. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers are investigating a number of potential causes for the decline, including stress-inducing climate conditions, invasive insects, new diseases, viruses, soil and soil ecology, and even the tree physiology itself!