Eye Rot Research Articles

First Report of Neofabraea actinidiae causing a Cranberry Fruit Rot in Oregon.

Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon, L.) is a commercial small fruit that is native to North America. Oregon ranks fourth in cranberry production in the U.S.A. with 1052 Ha of cranberry beds and annual production of 23,590 metric tonnes (USDA NASS 2021). Cranberry fruit rot diseases are caused by a complex of 15 fungal pathogens belonging to 10 genera (Polashock et al. 2017). In fruit rot surveys of 'Stevens' cranberry beds in Coos and Curry Counties, Oregon, berries were collected before harvest and sorted by symptoms (e.g. softening, shriveling, or discoloration). Cranberries with field rot symptoms were surface-disinfested and lesion margin tissue placed on V8 agar. Cultures were incubated at room temperature and outgrowing fungi were transferred twice onto fresh V8 agar to obtain single isolates. Storage rots that developed on asymptomatic cranberries held at 4°C for 8 weeks were processed similarly. Since 2017, we periodically isolated Neofabraea actinidiae, which is not a member of the cranberry fruit rot complex, from rotted cranberries (Polashock et al. 2017). In 2022, N. actinidiae was isolated from 22% of 45 cranberries collected from an organically managed farm and developed storage rot and from 6% of 50 storage-rot cranberries from three conventionally managed farms. Symptoms associated with N. actinidiae on 'Stevens' cranberries often include softening and brown tissue surrounded by a yellow-colored ring. On V8 agar, N. actinidiae grew as compact white circular colonies with dense aerial hyphae near the center and accompanied by a red pigment in the agar. Pink-colored mucoidal irregular conidiomata often developed on the colony after 3 weeks. Conidia were hyaline, aseptate, and ellipsoidal to fusiform ranging from 7.5 to 12.6 µm long X 3.5 to 5.6 µm wide (n=100). Genomic DNA was extracted from N. actinidiae isolates from cranberries in 2017 and 2022. β-tubulin and the ITS 5/4 region were amplified and sequenced with primers Bt-T2m-Up/Bt-LEV-Lo1 and ITS5/ITS4 using conditions of de Jong et al. (2001) and White et al. (1990), respectively. Sequences were deposited in NCBI Genbank (Accessions: OR606303, OR606305, OR606306, & OR606309 for ITS; OR610314, OR610316, OR610317, & OR610320 for β-tubulin). BlastN analysis of β-tubulin (695 bp) and ITS (489-490 bp) had a 99.6 to 99.8% and 99.8 to 100% identity, respectively, to Neofabraea actinidiae (CBS 121403) (Accession numbers: KR859285 β-tubulin and KR859079 ITS). Phylogenetic analysis of concatenated sequences using Tamura-Nei neighbor-joining (Tamura et al. 2004) confirmed identity of cranberry isolates as N. actinidiae. Koch's Postulates were confirmed with four N. actinidiae isolates from cranberry. Agar or hyphal plugs were placed in a 3 mm wound on the side of six surface-disinfested, asymptomatic berries and incubated in a moist chamber at 20°C for 15 days or 4°C for 55 days. Similar symptoms developed on each berry inoculated with N. actinidiae, but not agar alone. The fungus was recovered from symptomatic tissues and identity confirmed by colony morphology. N. actinidiae causes a ripe rot and storage rot in kiwifruit and is one of the species causing Bull's Eye Rot of pome fruits (Tyson et al. 2019). Cryptosporiopsis actinidiae (anamorph) was isolated from cranberries roots in British Columbia, CA, but considered unlikely to be the causal agent of dieback disease of cranberry vines (Sabaratnam et al. 2009). We have demonstrated that N. actinidiae causes a cranberry fruit rot in beds and in storage. Its prevalence, associated fruit rot symptoms, and disease incidence will continue to be monitored.

Transcriptomic and volatilomic profiles reveal Neofabraea vagabunda infection-induced changes in susceptible and resistant apples during storage

Bull’s eye rot is one of the most severe diseases that may affect apple fruit during post-harvest storage. It is caused by the fungus Neofabraea vagabunda, and the mechanism by which the pathogen infects the fruits is only partially understood. In particular, very little is known about the molecular mechanisms regulating the interaction between the pathogen and the host during symptoms development. Despite different apple cultivars show divergent levels of resistance to the pathogen, the genetic basis of these responses is still unknown. In order to better understand the molecular mechanisms occurring in the apple fruit during N. vagabunda infection, a large-scale transcriptome study by RNA-Seq analysis was performed, comparing fruits of the sensitive ‘Roho’ cultivar and the resistant cultivar ‘Ariane’ after artificial infection with N. vagabunda and a storage period of four months. Transcriptomic analyses revealed the regulation of several classes of genes during this period, some of which may be involved in apple-pathogen interaction, such as superoxide dismutases and heat shock proteins (HSPs), ethylene-responsive transcription factors (ERFs), carboxylesterases and NAC transcription factors gene families. Moreover, a volatile analysis was performed, revealing differences in the volatile profile between the resistant and the susceptible cultivar that may help to elucidate the resistance mechanism. RNA-Seq data highlighted several classes of pathogen-related genes, such as genes coding for enzymes involved in cell wall disruption and in reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis, being differentially regulated between resistant and susceptible fruits and between diseased and healthy fruits of the same cultivar, indicating that apples are capable of perceiving and triggering a molecular response to N. vagabunda infection. Some volatiles, as ethanol and methanol, but also furan and formaldehyde, might be potential markers for N. vagabunda infection; others, such as hexenal and methyl acetate, were found to be putatively involved in regulating apple-fungi interaction.

Nurturing Agribusiness: A Sustainable Farming System for Tomato Crop Management Leveraging Machine Learning

The agriculture industry is undergoing a transformative shift with the introduction of IoT technology, enabling global connectivity for farmers. This technology offers a plethora of advantages, ranging from precise seed selection based on soil analysis to efficient crop maintenance, water management, and enhanced marketing support for improved profitability. To further enhance tomato farming practices, we propose the implementation of a smart farmer marketing assistant that streamlines the process of segregating yield based on its growth stage, reducing labor and time requirements.Further, the frame work is capable of early-disease management system that can detect diseases like early blight,light blight, buck eye rot and anthranose and suggest remedy. By adopting this innovative approach, financial losses associated with traditional methods are minimized.The traditional practice of combining all categories of vegetables (ripened, unripened, and partially rotten) in a single container often results in reduced shelf life for the produce. In our framework, we employ color sorting to categorize the vegetables, ensuring proper packing into their respective bins. This valuable data is made accessible through a cloud environment, providing potential buyers with comprehensive information about the yield, its category, and pricing. This increased visibility empowers farmers to reach a global market and sell their produce at competitive prices.
 In this context, we present a case study focused on the tomato crop, where we have successfully developed a prototype utilizing ESP32, a color sensor, and Google Firebase. This comprehensive framework effectively harnesses the power of IoT, Machine Learning, and potential marketing strategies, transforming the way farmers manage their crops and connect with buyers on a global scale with highly accurate 87.9% experimental results.

Lenticel hydration alters the susceptibility of apple fruit to infection by Phlyctema vagabunda

Bull’s eye rot, caused by Phlyctema vagabunda, is an important postharvest rot of apples. A combination of laboratory and field trials were conducted to examine the relationship between infection and status of apple lenticels. Fruit were hydrated and then inoculated, and climatic factors were compared with inoculations and natural infections in the field. In laboratory trials it was shown that increased lenticel density and size led to more infections. Hydration distended lenticel diameter, and dehydration contracted lenticels. A strong relationship with wind run, leaf wetness and temperature were shown to be important for laboratory inoculations of monthly harvested fruit, natural infections in trap fruit experiments, and monthly field inoculations. It was hypothesised that high wind run (> c. 240 km/day) reduced fruit susceptibility by promoting lenticel closure, and when lenticels were open, temperature limited the formation of an infection stroma. If the stroma did not form, postharvest expression of disease was negligible. Leaf wetness over 28 days was also an important factor for infection, probably because of the effect on micro-crack formation and resealing of lenticels during maturation by components of the cuticle. From these results, pre-harvest application of compounds that close lenticels could provide some control of bull’s eye rot without the need for fungicides.

The main diseases in the culture of pineapple: a review

Pineapple is a crop of great importance, having vitamins, minerals and capable of preventing diseases. Therefore, several researchers are interested in studying this crop, in addition to its use for other purposes, such as the production of juice pulp, jellies, sweets and other products, with its in natura form being the most sought after among countries. However, the attack of pathogens reduces pineapple production to worrying levels, and when not controlled, it even eradicates the entire plantation. Based on this, this review aimed to show the recent discoveries about the pineapple culture, emphasizing, mainly, the main diseases of this production chain. After gathering the main information on the most frequent diseases in pineapple production fields, we observed that fusariosis is considered the main disease of pineapple, followed by black spot, eye rot and root rot, being in short knowledge of these by producers is important in order to avoid irreversible damage. It is understood that more research is needed, since in the literature there are few field studies on this crop, especially with regard to seeking alternative means of controlling these diseases, so that the dissemination of this knowledge provides better information on agronomic interests.

New biotechnological solutions in biocontrol and molecular diagnostics of Neofabraea spp. in apples – A review

The most important requirement for apple producers is to ensure the best possible apple quality after storage. Growers must comply with several regulations in the field of food and environmental safety. In the production of apples, it has been observed that financial losses are related to the occurrence of latent storage diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi of the genus Neofabraea (bull’s eye rot). Therefore, investors in this sector require new solutions supporting rational apple management, with a particular focus on pro-ecological methods of controlling Neofabraea sp. pathogenic representatives and methods for the early detection of these pathogens, especially when there are no symptoms of disease in the apple. This review summarizes the activities being undertaken to increase sustainable production in horticulture. What is more, the up-to-date significance of apple production and the various ways of counteracting bull’s eye rot were also described. Next, biopreparations based on microorganisms in horticulture applications are characterized, with special attention being paid to the preparations preventing the development of Neofabraea spp. The various methods used to detect fungal phytopathogens are explored towards Neofabraea spp. detection using genetic markers. Finally, expectations and future directions in the quest for new biotechnological solutions in the area of the biocontrol and molecular diagnostics of Neofabraea spp. in apples were presented. In particular, the need for targeted biocontrol biopreparations and an early detection method of Neofabraea spp. in apples to evaluate the risk of the occurrence of apple bull’s eye rot was highlighted.

New insight into morphological and genetic diversity of Phlyctema vagabunda and Neofabraea kienholzii causing bull's eye rot on apple and pear

AbstractFungi of genera Phlyctema and Neofabraea are the causal agents of bull's eye rot, a major postharvest disease of pome fruits. To investigate their morphological and genetic diversity, isolates obtained in Italy and Chile from decayed fruit and rainwater between 2014 and 2019 were grown on two agar media, inoculated onto four fruit cultivars and compared using four marker genes. Consistent intra‐ and interspecies phenotypic differences were recorded among isolates identified as P. vagabunda (two main morphotypes, PvM‐I and PvM‐II, were distinguished) and N. kienholzii. In particular, the Chilean isolates belonging to PvM‐I showed low sporulation in vitro, while isolates belonging to PvM‐II showed the most abundant sporulation and also formed conidiomata deep within fruit tissue. Host cultivar influenced the disease incidence in unwounded, inoculated fruit. Cripps Pink and Golden Delicious apples favoured the formation of P. vagabunda conidiomata and macroconidia, while Granny Smith apples and/or Kaiser pears restricted sporulation of some isolates of PvM‐I. Mycelial cords of P. vagabunda and N. kienholzii were consistently recorded in inoculated fruit, suggesting their possible involvement as a source of inoculum. Propagules of P. vagabunda were present in rainwater collected from apple plants from September to October in Italy. According to sequence analysis of ITS, EF‐1α, TUB2 and ACT1 regions of the fungi, 12 distinct sequence types were identified, three of which were characteristic of isolates from the Southern Hemisphere. The condensed maximum‐likelihood phylogenetic tree separated the 50 P. vagabunda isolates into six phylogroups, suggesting a correlation with their geographical distribution.

Phlyctema vagabunda is the main causal agent of apple bull’s eye rot in New Zealand

Bull’s eye rot is a postharvest storage disease of apples. Until now the cause of this disease in New Zealand was not clear. A survey of 6880 apples from five regions of New Zealand over two seasons was conducted. Neofabraea malicorticis and N. perennans were not found. One hundred and seventy-nine isolates were identified as Phlyctema vagabunda by specific polymerase chain reactions and/or sequencing the β-tubulin gene region followed by phylogenetic analysis. Two isolates were identified as N. kienholzii. Previous records of the presence of N. malicorticis and N. perennans in New Zealand were based on spore morphology and presence in pruning wound cankers. There is overlap in spore morphology for N. malicorticis, N. perennans and P. vagabunda, accounting for misidentifications. Based on our results it is likely that previous records were P. vagabunda, which can also infect pruning wounds.

Morphological, Molecular, and Pathogenic Characterization of Neofabraea alba, a Postharvest Pathogen of Apple in Serbia

Neofabraea spp. is one of the major causal agents of the postharvest decay of apple fruit. Bull’s eye rot can cause fruit rot, as well as tree canker. In Serbia, during February and March, 2017 and 2018, 56.3% of collected stored rotten apple fruits were found to be infected with Neofabraea spp. Using polymerase chain reaction, phylogenetic analysis, and morphological characterization, Neofabraeaalba was identified as the causal agent of Bull’s eye rot. Twenty-five selected isolates were analyzed by DNA sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer and 16 S mitochondrial ribosomal RNA. The phylogenetic analyses provided information on the distance between Neofabraea spp., while merged phylogenetic tree was required to give insight and clarify the relationships between isolates of Neofabraeaalba. N. alba demonstrated pathogenicity on apple fruit as well as on branches, with significantly different aggressiveness among the isolates. Isolates were able to produce larger cankers and acervuli on apple branches with abundant sporulation All identified isolates were separated into two morphotypes and described based on their macromorphological characteristics on culture media. It was noticed that different culture media, pH, and temperature could affect macromorphological characteristics and development. Representative isolates were able to grow at a temperature range of 0 to 25 °C, above which only one isolate was able to grow on culture media. All isolates showed growth at a pH range of 2–10, with significant differences detected between isolates at different pH values. The type of cultivation medium significantly affected the size and shape of conidia, while the presence of the microconidia was recorded within isolates. The aim of this study was to identify the causal agents of Bull’s eye rot on stored apples in Serbia in the period 2017–2018 and characterize the obtained isolates based on pathogenic, morphological, physiological, and molecular criteria.

Endophytic Yeasts for the Biocontrol of Phlyctema vagabunda in Apples

Bull’s-eye rot, produced by Phlyctema vagabunda, is an important postharvest disease in apples. Current measures to control infection include synthetic fungicides, in addition to the application of copper hydroxide and potassium phosphite. However, growing public concern regarding fungicide residues in food has generated interest in developing non-chemical alternative control methods; biological control is one of the most promising alternatives. In this research, native endophytic yeasts were isolated and evaluated for the biocontrol of P. vagabunda in apples. The mechanisms of action involved were also determined. Our research found 2 isolates, Vishniacozyma victoriae EPL4.5 and EPL29.5, which exhibited biocontrol activity against P. vagabunda at 20 °C in apples, the incidence of bull’s-eye rot was reduced by 39% and 61%, respectively, and the severity of the disease was decreased by 67% and 70%, respectively, when apples were inoculated with these yeasts 24 h before applying the pathogen. The main mechanisms that could be involved in the observed biocontrol activity are the ability to form biofilms and the production of volatile organic compounds.

Ripe indexes, hot water treatments, and biocontrol agents as synergistic combination to control apple bull’s eye rot

ABSTRACT DA-meter hand-held instrument, hot water treatment (HWT) and biocontrol agents (BCAs) represent an alternative solution to synthetic fungicides. In the present study, the three strategies were combined to reduce Neofabraea vagabunda virulence on apple fruit cv ‘Cripps Pink’. In vitro assays were conducted by testing different heat treatment timing (10, 5, and 3 min at 45°C) influence on pathogen mycelial growth together with BCAs (Aureobasidium pullulans L1 and L8, and Trichoderma harzianum Th1). The combined activities of HWT 45°C × 5 min and both BCAs volatile and no-volatile compounds displayed the complete control of the pathogen. In vivo, DA-meter was used to measure the index of absorbance difference (IAD) of chlorophyll-α content on apple and to separate fruit into two different ripening classes, immediately wound inoculated with N. vagabunda conidial suspension, and treated with HW and BCAs. In vivo results showed how the combined action of HW and BCAs completely inhibited the pathogen. Also, the less ripe apple class showed a decrease of fungal incidence by 16.2% with respect to the riper class. At harvest and after four months of storage at 0°C, quality parameters of both apple classes heat treated and untreated, such as firmness (FF), soluble solid contents (SSC), and pH were measured without showing any substantial differences. Obtained results open new perspectives on organic apple productions.

The Recent Occurrence of Biotic Postharvest Diseases of Apples in Poland

For the years 2012–2018, we investigated the occurrence of storage diseases caused by fungi on four cultivars of apples grown in the central part of Poland. The fruits were picked in orchards managed with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices and stored in a cold room for 5–7 months. Depending on the season, apple cultivar and localization of orchard, the incidence of diseases was different. On apple cvs “Gala”, “Ligol” and “Golden Delicious”, bull’s eye rot (Neofabraea spp.) was the most frequently observed disease, whereas on apple cv. “Gloster”, gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) predominated. The blue mold (Penicillium expansum), brown rot (Monilinia spp.) and fungi of Alternaria spp. occurred at significantly lower intensity. We detected the occurrence of the new storage diseases of apples caused by Colletotrichum spp., Neonectria ditissima and Diaporthe eres.

Phylogenetic Diversity and Phenotypic Characterization of Phlyctema vagabunda (syn. Neofabraea alba) and Neofabraea kienholzii Causing Postharvest Bull's Eye Rot of Apple in Northern Italy.

Bull's eye rot, caused by Phlyctema vagabunda and Neofabraea species, is one of the most important postharvest diseases of apple. South Tyrol (northern Italy) is the largest continuous apple-producing area in Europe, with approximately 1 million tons being produced yearly and conserved in technologically advanced storage facilities for several months. Still, studies on the pathogen species causing postharvest bull's eye rot of apple, as well as their diversity and biology, are lacking for this region. Therefore, the main purpose of the present work was to identify and characterize fungal isolates obtained from decayed apple fruit with symptoms of bull's eye rot that were collected in 2018 and 2019 in different packinghouses in South Tyrol. Among more than 1,000 fungal isolates that were obtained, 419 could be assigned to the genera Phlyctema and/or Neofabraea based on rot symptoms on apple fruit and colony morphology on potato dextrose agar. A smaller subset of 101 representative isolates was further analyzed by DNA sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region. Furthermore, partial segments of the β-tubulin gene, the translation elongation factor 1α gene, and the 16S mitochondrial ribosomal RNA gene were studied. The phylogenetic analyses, including sequences of reference species, showed that P. vagabunda is the dominant species associated with bull's eye rot of apple in the study area, whereas Neofabraea kienholzii was found only on a small number of apple fruit samples. The combination of multilocus sequence data revealed 11 unique genotypes that belonged to P. vagabunda and four to N. kienholzii. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report N. kienholzii as a postharvest pathogen of apple in Italy. Finally, a pathogenicity test demonstrated different degrees of virulence among selected isolates of P. vagabunda and N. kienholzii on the cultivar Golden Delicious. The present study emphasizes the importance of accurate species identification, because different species may vary in their biological and pathogenic characteristics, and consequently require distinct disease management strategies, both in the field and during the postharvest stages.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Plants: a unique model for research on high diluted substances

Introduction: High efficiency and low cost of homeopathic drugs, lack of side effects and accumulation of toxins in animal farming products made homeopathy one of the priority developments in veterinary medicine. However, opponents of homeopathy have intensified their activity in the recent years. The attacks of the opponents of homeopathy, with their unfounded claims that it is totally explained by the placebo effect, can largely be explained by complexity of understanding the mechanism of action of these remedies which does not fit into the established concepts the effect of drugs on the body. That is why further study of homeopathic phenomenon is especially important in these days. In order to disproof the opinion that homeopathic phenomenon is explained by placebo effect, we have been studying the effect homeopathic remedies on vegetable growth and ripening. This choice was based on the hope that the opponents of homeopathy would not be able to accuse plants of self-suggestion under the effect of potentiated remedies. There are many publications about application of homeopathic remedies on plants. For example, in this direction such researchers as Stephan Baumgartner, Carneiro SMTPG, Rossi F, Carvalho LM, Bonato CM, Betti L, Lazzarato L V. Majewsky, and other researchers worked.
 Methods: Our first experiments that we performed during two years demonstrated a significant improvement of growth and ripening variables when homeopathic remedies were added to fertilizing mixtures, as compared with conventional plant care. Tomatoes of Typhoon F1 and Titan breeds were sued to study the effect of homeopathic remedies on plant growth and ripening. The studies were performed in greenhouse conditions in summer 2009 and 2010, on fertile soils of an experimental farm in the Krasnoselskiy district of the Leningrad region. Every study group of a certain tomato breed contained 20 plants. When the young plants were planted in the soil they were watered with adding Coca 1000 СН remedy, and then in one month the upper part of the plant was sprayed with Echinacea 30 СН. The same amounts of similar plants of the same breeds treated according to conventional agricultural technology were used as a control group. 
 Results: As a result earlier ripening was found in the Typhoon F1 tomato breed: it occurred by 19 days earlier: that is by 18.3% than in the control group. The Titan tomatoes group ripened by 14.3% faster than in the control one. Every plant of the Typhoon breed produced an average of 45 tomato fruits, while in the control group the average number amounted to 14 (i.e. there was an increase of 221.4% in the test group). An average of 78 tomato fruits were produced by the Titan breed plants, while in the control group this number was only 20 (increase by 290%). Mean weight of the Typhoon tomato fruit increased by 59.5 g from the control values, i.e. by 180.8%. Mean weight of the Titan tomato fruit increased by 128.5 i.e. by 208.9%. A notable difference was found by all observers in the taste of experimental and control vegetables. The experimental plants had significantly better taste characteristics and they were also more resistant to buck eye rot. 
 Conclusion: In such a way, the studies performed confirm the existence of homeopathic phenomenon in live organisms in the absence of the placebo effect. It has been demonstrated that the use of homeopathic remedies is effective in improvement of agricultural productivity. Plants are unique model for research of ultrahigh dilutions of substances.

Semi-commercial hot water treatments to control apple bull’s eye rot (Neofabraea alba)

ISHS V International Symposium on Postharvest Pathology: From Consumer to Laboratory-Sustainable Approaches to Managing Postharvest Pathogens Semi-commercial hot water treatments to control apple bull's eye rot (Neofabraea alba)

Bull’s eye rot development in storage is related to the timing of apple fruit infection by Neofabraea vagabunda in the orchard in Chile

ISHS V International Symposium on Postharvest Pathology: From Consumer to Laboratory-Sustainable Approaches to Managing Postharvest Pathogens Bull's eye rot development in storage is related to the timing of apple fruit infection by Neofabraea vagabunda in the orchard in Chile

<i>Phlyctema vagabunda</i>によるリンゴ果実の小黒斑症状ならびに黄腐病の発生（病原追加）

<i>Phlyctema vagabunda</i>によるリンゴ果実の小黒斑症状ならびに黄腐病の発生（病原追加）

Characterization and Quantification of Postharvest Losses of Apple Fruit Stored under Commercial Conditions

The objectives of this study were to characterize and quantify postharvest losses of apples under commercial conditions in Santa Catarina state, Brazil. Two experiments were conducted using ‘Gala’ and ‘Fuji’ apples. The first experiment was to characterize and quantify the most important causes of loss of fruit treated or not treated with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) then held in controlled atmosphere (CA) storage. This experiment was conducted in commercial storage facilities from 2007 to 2010. In each year, 10 samples of ≈380 kg each for ‘Gala’ and 400 kg each for ‘Fuji’ were collected from bins of commercially harvested fruit from each of 15 ‘Gala’ and 17 ‘Fuji’ orchards. Half of the samples from each orchard were treated with 1-MCP at harvest. Fruit were stored in CA, at 0.7 °C, for 150 to 300 days. After storage, one subsample of 100 disorder-free apples were selected from each sample and held at 22 °C for 7 days to simulate shelf-life conditions. The fruit were analyzed after CA storage and shelf life for the incidence of disorders. The second experiment was conducted in 2011 to identify the main fungi causing decay during storage. In this study, apples were stored in 10 commercial CA storage rooms at 0.7 °C for 180 to 240 days. After storage, fruit with decay symptoms were collected at the commercial sorting line. A total of 10 samples of 100 decayed apples were taken throughout the sorting period for each cultivar and storage room. The fungal decays were identified by visual symptoms on each fruit. Total apple losses during storage varied from 3.9% to 12.1% for ‘Gala’ and 6.6% to 8.4% for ‘Fuji’, depending on the year and 1-MCP treatment. During storage, deterioration caused by fungal decay was ≈60% and 80% of total losses for ‘Gala’ and ‘Fuji’, respectively. During shelf life, additional losses caused by fungal decay ranged from 8.4% to 17.6% for ‘Gala’ and 12.4% to 27.2% for ‘Fuji’, depending on the year. Senescent breakdown and superficial scald were the major physiological disorders. 1-MCP treatment had no effect on losses due to decay. Bull’s-eye rot, blue mold, gray mold, and alternaria rot were the most prevalent fungal decay symptoms, accounting for 52%, 27%, 9% and 10% of ‘Gala’ losses and 42%, 25%, 18% and 5% of ‘Fuji’ losses, respectively. Sources of variability for losses among years and orchards is discussed.

Incidence of postharvest fungal diseases of apples in integrated fruit production

In 2014–2017 an investigation was carried out into the occurrence of fungal storage diseases of five apple varieties (Red Jonaprince, Gala, Golden Delicious, Gloster and Ligol) in the Sandomierz orchard region. The fruit was stored at a CA cold storage room with ULO controlled atmosphere for six months. Occurrence of eight storage diseases was found. The most frequently occurring disease was bull’s eye rot and the losses caused thereby were even 24% of the affected fruit. The cultivars most susceptible to this disease were the Golden Delicious and Ligol apples; the least susceptible were the Gloster ones. The apples were significantly less affected by the fungi that cause brown rot, grey mould rot, blue mould rot and apple scab. Very seldom were the symptoms of calyx end rot, mouldy core and core rot, and anthracnose. Varying severity of infection of the varieties was noted in each season of observation.

Apple blossom-end rot due to Neonectria ditissima is initiated by infections at full flowering and incipient petal fall

Neonectria ditissima is a major cause of blossom-end rot (eye rot, calyx-end rot) as a pre-harvest fruit rot of apple in Northwestern Europe. Artificial inoculation of trees was undertaken at close intervals under natural conditions during flowering in order to obtain a higher-resolution definition of the most susceptible phenological stage of apple for blossom-end rot infections by N. ditissima. Similar trials were conducted for another blossom-end rot fungus, Botrytis pseudocinerea. Results for N. ditissima showed full bloom to be the most susceptible stage for infection in cultivar ‘Pinova’, whereas with cultivar ‘Nicoter’ the highest infection rates were obtained at full bloom to petal fall, reflecting temporal differences in flower development between one-year-old and older wood. Few infections were observed by inoculation at the beginning of flowering or about one week after petal fall when no petals were left on the flowers, and the fruit knots were enlarging. This finding shortens the time-span for infections as compared to previous knowledge. Floral inoculations with conidia of B. pseudocinerea were unsuccessful. Options to control blossom-end rot in integrated pest management include a timing of scab or powdery mildew fungicide sprays to full bloom, and canker pruning just ahead of flowering in orchards strongly affected by N. ditissima.