Pre-harvest ethephon treatment, a possible control of apple scald

Abstract

Abstract Pre-harvest sprays of various concentrations of ethephon were applied to ‘Granny Smith’ apple trees. After 150 days in cool storage, apples from treated trees had developed significantly less superficial scald than those from control trees. When applied at 500 ppm the ethephon treatment almost eliminated scald, to give a near-commercial control of the disorder. Higher concentrations caused premature leaf fall and fruit drop during harvesting.