EFFECT OF COOL STORAGE ON SURVIVAL OF ERWINIA AMYLOVORA IN APPLE CALYXES

Coolstorage of mature, export quality apples (cv.
Gala) in either the laboratory (0°C ± 0.5°C) or a commercial packhouse (2°C ± 0.5°C) for a period of 25 days reduced the survival of Erwinia amylovora in calyxes of both inoculated and naturally infested fruit.
Populations of E. amylovora did not increase to levels detectable by PCR in fruit which were coolstored and then incubated at room temperature (c. 20°C) for 14 days to simulate likely retail conditions.
The results provide evidence that coolstored, mature, export quality fruit are unlikely to be a vector of E. amylovora. These same commercial coolstorage conditions required for codling moth disinfestation of apple exports from New Zealand to Japan provide assurance that fruit, either from orchards free of fire blight symptoms or with a low incidence of the disease, will not provide an inoculum level likely to cause new outbreaks in previously blight-free areas.

VIII International Workshop on Fire Blight

C.N. Hale, R.K. Taylor

Erwinia amylovora, fire blight, PCR detection

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1999.489.20