Post-harvest fruit rot incidence depending on apple maturity
Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture, Babtai, Kaunas distr., LT-54333,Lithuania; e-mail: a.valiuskaite@lsdi.lt
Abstract:
The effect of fruit maturity on apple storage ability and rot development wasinvestigated in 2003–2004 at the Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture. Two apple cultivars ‘Ligol’ and ‘Lodel’ on M.26 rootstock were tested. Fruits were harvested 5 times at weekly intervals and were stored for six months in cold storage. Maturity index was calculated at each harvesting.Fruit quality parameters and rot incidence were evaluated after 90, 150 and 180 days ofstorage. While in storage ‘Lodel’ apple rot was caused by Monilinia sp., Gloeosporium spp., Penicillium spp., Alternaria spp. and Botrytis sp. Cv. ‘Ligol’ apples were infected by Monilinia sp., Gloeosporium spp. and Penicillium spp. Both tested cultivars were mostly infected by fungus of Gloeosporium genus. Cv. ‘Lodel’ was more sensitive to fungal rots.The time and intensity of rot incidence depended on cultivar, harvest date and climaticcondition during the vegetation. More rot injuries were detected on apples picked later. A significantly smaller number of rotten apples was recorded in apples picked at optimum maturity. Cold and wet weather during the ripening period determined an earlier and significantly higher occurrence of fungus during storage.
Key words:
fruit rot, harvest date, Malus x domestica, maturity index, storage