DYGALL FAQ
Answers to common questions about DYGALL biological control for crown gall prevention.
DYGALL is a biological inoculant registered for the control of crown gall on nursery plants. It is used by trained nursery personnel and must be applied according to the label.
DYGALL is a biological inoculant that causes the plant to produce an antibiotic which protects itself from the crown gall causing bacteria.
Most growers looking at DYGALL have already had crown gall on their farm. They know what it looks like and what it costs. If you grow a crop, dig it, and find gall at shipping time, that plant does not ship. Whether that loss is 1 percent, 2 percent, or 10 percent, the money is already gone.
There are also hidden costs that are easy to miss:
- Smaller fruit in fruit crops
- Smaller, lower grade plants in ornamentals
- Reduced vigor that shows up later
- Costs spread out over many years with fruit tree crops
These losses are not always obvious while the crop is growing, but they hit the bottom line.
DYGALL is preventative. There is no cure for crown gall once it starts. In this case, prevention is not optional. It is the only option.
Crown gall often starts where you cannot see it, in the ground. You know DYGALL is working when you do not see gall or its symptoms.
Crown gall usually forms on roots or below the soil line. A plant can look clean above ground while gall is starting underground. By the time gall is visible, the infection has already happened.
DYGALL is not a cure. It must be used before exposure, during propagation, handling, or planting, when plants are cut, moved, or stressed.
If gall never appears, that is not a lack of results. That is the result you want.
Because it often develops below ground, where you cannot see it during normal inspections. Visible galls may not show up until much later, after damage is already done.
Yes. With prevention, nothing happening is the goal. Preventative products are judged by what does not happen. If crown gall does not show up after proper use, prevention has done its job.
No. Crown gall pressure changes depending on:
- Wounds from cutting, grafting, or planting
- Handling and stress
- Soil conditions
- Weather
You cannot always see risk while the crop is growing.
This is when it is most important. Historic crown gall issues translate into an increased chance of infection. Once gall is found at digging or shipping time, the loss has already happened.
DYGALL cannot fix plants that already have gall. It is used to reduce the chance of gall starting in the next crop.
Crown gall can reduce vigor without obvious early symptoms. That can mean:
- Smaller fruit
- Slower growth
- Lower grade plants
These problems often show up after you have already invested time, labor, and money.
When crown gall is prevented:
- More plants make grade
- More plants ship
- Crop value is protected
At that point, the cost of a preventative treatment is small compared to rejecting affected plants.
No. There is no cure for crown gall once it is established. DYGALL must be used before exposure to crown gall causing bacteria, when infection risk is highest.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. With crown gall, there is no cure. The goal is simple: that crown gall never appears.