Integrated management of superficial mould on stored pome fruit

Postharvest management, particularly employing synthetic fungicides like fludioxonil and pyrimethanil, is crucial in controlling fungal diseases on pome fruit in South Africa’s commercial packhouses.
Typically applied via drench methods, fludioxonil has proven more effective than pyrimethanil, while packaging types such as clear non-perforated polyethylene bags exacerbate mould development.
A study evaluating fludioxonil (299 mg L^‑1) and pyrimethanil (500 mg L^‑1) drench applications on three apple cultivars stored for six months at -0.5°C found that combining chemical drench with alternative packaging like perforated bags mitigated calyx and stem mould symptoms, with modular absorbent membrane (MAM) sheeting resulting in low mould incidence across cultivars.
Additionally, thermofogging with fludioxonil or pyrimethanil on the ‘Fuji’ cultivar under controlled conditions showed pyrimethanil to be least effective in reducing mould.
Sanitiser dip application, particularly with Hypercide^® and Steri-harvest^®, resulted in 0% mould incidence when paired with perforated bags or MAM sheets.
Fungicide sensitivity tests conducted on Alternaria arborescens, Cladosporium spp., and Epicoccum spp. isolates revealed varying sensitivity to difenoconazole, fludioxonil, fluopyram, pyrimethanil, and thiabendazole.
In summary, effective postharvest management involves judicious fungicide application, appropriate packaging, and sanitation practices, with an understanding of fungicide sensitivity and employing suitable treatments to enhance fruit quality and reduce postharvest losses.

VII International Symposium on Postharvest Pathology: Next Frontiers for Improved Knowledge and Management of Postharvest Disease

I. Block, J.C. Meitz-Hopkins, C.L. Lennox

pome fruit, superficial mould, fungicides, packaging

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2026.1451.21