Articles
Bull’s eye rot development in storage is related to the timing of apple fruit infection by Neofabraea vagabunda in the orchard in Chile
Article number
1325_12
Pages
73 – 76
Language
English
Abstract
Bulls-eye rot, caused by Neofabraea vagabunda, is one of the most important postharvest disease of apple, and is the only species reported to be associated with this rot in Chile.
Symptoms develop slowly, requiring at least three months in cold storage to be visible.
The disease begins at preharvest when latent infection at the fruit lenticel are established.
Epidemiological studies are needed to know when apple lenticels are infected in the orchard, so that effective preharvest fungicide spray programmes can be developed.
To determine the timing of fruit infection, Cripps Pink apple fruits from two commercial orchards located at San Clemente (low disease pressure) and Longaví (high disease pressure) in Chile were inoculated with a conidial suspension of N. vagabunda in 2016, 2017, and 2018 at 120, 90 and 60 days prior to harvest and then every week until harvest.
Inoculated apples were harvested and stored at 0°C for 150 days, and the incidence of Bulls eye rot was recorded.
Conidial inoculations resulted in significant Bulls eye rot during storage when apple fruits were inoculated at 120 days before harvest (January). Inoculations made 40 days to immediately prior to harvest in both orchards had a higher incidence of Bulls eye rot in storage compared to fruits that were inoculated at 120 or 90 days before harvest.
Results of the present study indicate that early inoculations in the Longaví orchard, characterized by high disease pressure, resulted in a significant level of Bulls eye rot in storage.
Our results indicate that apple lenticels are susceptible to infection by N. vagabunda as early as 120 days before harvest.
Symptoms develop slowly, requiring at least three months in cold storage to be visible.
The disease begins at preharvest when latent infection at the fruit lenticel are established.
Epidemiological studies are needed to know when apple lenticels are infected in the orchard, so that effective preharvest fungicide spray programmes can be developed.
To determine the timing of fruit infection, Cripps Pink apple fruits from two commercial orchards located at San Clemente (low disease pressure) and Longaví (high disease pressure) in Chile were inoculated with a conidial suspension of N. vagabunda in 2016, 2017, and 2018 at 120, 90 and 60 days prior to harvest and then every week until harvest.
Inoculated apples were harvested and stored at 0°C for 150 days, and the incidence of Bulls eye rot was recorded.
Conidial inoculations resulted in significant Bulls eye rot during storage when apple fruits were inoculated at 120 days before harvest (January). Inoculations made 40 days to immediately prior to harvest in both orchards had a higher incidence of Bulls eye rot in storage compared to fruits that were inoculated at 120 or 90 days before harvest.
Results of the present study indicate that early inoculations in the Longaví orchard, characterized by high disease pressure, resulted in a significant level of Bulls eye rot in storage.
Our results indicate that apple lenticels are susceptible to infection by N. vagabunda as early as 120 days before harvest.
Authors
M. Lolas, M. Cáceres, J.A. Reyes, G.A. Díaz
Keywords
postharvest rot, Phlyctema, Gloeosporium, latent infection, ‘Pink Lady’
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