INFLUENCE OF ORCHARD MANAGEMENT AND POSTHARVEST TREATMENTS ON FRUIT DECAY CAUSED BY PENICILLIUM EXPANSUM AND “CORE BROWNING” IN POSTHARVEST OF PEAR

The effect of cultural methods (fungicide treatments and orchard management) and postharvest treatments on fruit decay caused by Penicillum expansum in pears of cultivars Passe Crassane and Conference were studied.
Fruits were collected from four commercial orchards with different cultural methods and characterized by analysis of the following parameters: preharvest fungicide residue, mineral content (Ca, N), and fruit quality (firmness, soluble sugars and acidity). Three postharvest treatments were applied: non-treated control, fungicide treatment (imazalil and folpet) and biological control.
A second experiment was made with fruits that were submitted to six different treatments in the orchard: captan, tebuconazol, three different strategies with the fungicide thiram and a bacterial antagonist Pseudomonas fluorescens EPS288. In both experiments a significant influence of the preharvest fungicide treatment was observed on the severity of postharvest decay.

The effect of cultural methods and storage strategies on fruit “core browning” were studied in a factorial experiment.
Fruits obtained from three orchards, at different harvest dates and submitted to different storage periods were used.
Fruit quality parameters, were analysed before and after storage, and “core browning” levels were evaluated.

III International Symposium on Mineral Nutrition of Deciduous Fruit Trees

J. Francés, A. Bonaterra, J.L. Juan, P. Vilardell, E. Montesinos

Postharvest, pear, fungicides, biological control, fruit decay, fruit quality, Penicillium expansum

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1997.448.31