The relationship between different spray combinations of certain fungicides with calcium nitrate and the incidence of bitter pit and fungal diseases of apple

Abstract

SummaryTwo apple cultivars, Cox’s Orange Pippin and Worcester Pearmain, were sprayed at high volume for scab control in two seasons with either captan or thiram, with dinocap to control mildew. On Worcester, it was confirmed that thiram reduced crop and increased fruit russet and bitter pit incidence; the proportion of misshapen fruits was also increased. On Cox, thiram reduced crop number, without any compensatory increase in weight, and provided inferior scab control as well as increasing fruit russet.The application of commercial calcium nitrate (C.C.N.) four times between mid-June and mid-August led to a considerable reduction in the incidence of bitter pit and storage rots in fruits from trees sprayed with captan and dinocap; it also partially offset the greater incidence of bitter pit associated with thiram treatments. In contrast to this, the application of a similar total amount of calcium, either in the form of a standard lime sulphur programme or by adding C.C.N, to the organic fungicide program...