Brown Rot Alert |Most Effective Ways to Deal With Brown Rot in Apple Orchards

There are several ways to combat the Brown Rot problem on crops, including removing moisture from the environment. Farmers can also cultivate crops to reduce humidity and reduce the chance of fungus growth. However, if the problem has already spread, it may be too late to make the necessary changes. If this is the case, you should be aware of the symptoms and methods to control it. Here are the three most effective ways to deal with the Brown Rot on your crops.

Symptoms

The first brown rot symptoms are visible on the foliage of fruit and flowers. Flowers with brown spots and gray or powdery spores are diseased and will usually remain attached to plants throughout the fall and winter. The symptoms are similar for any stone fruit. Plants show wilting in the morning, which often becomes worse during the hotter part of the day. The affected fruits and flowers will wilt more and become stunted.

A fungus known as Monilinia fructicola causes brown rot on stone fruits. The disease can damage stone fruit including peaches, plums, nectarines, and apricots. It is also a common cause of severe fruit losses in season characterized by wet weather. Symptoms of brown rot include the appearance of a firm rotten spot, mass of spores, and the deformation of twigs. The fruit is often contaminated during picking and packing and is susceptible to this fungus.

Causes

When it comes to plants, brown rot can be devastating. While it’s most common during post-harvest decay, it can also lead to serious losses. In the orchard, brown rot typically causes the most damage. During the early stages of an infestation, a plant may have no obvious signs of decay. Moreover, the disease can spread quickly by nesting, which allows other decay pathogens to colonize the plant.

While there are no known preventative measures, the first step to prevent this disease is sanitation. Remove dropped fruit, mummies and cankers, which can facilitate disease development. Ensure that rotten fruit does not accumulate in the packing shed. Another step is controlling insect populations. Brown rot is more common on stone fruits that have been wound or pierced. To minimize this problem, take special care during harvesting and packing to avoid puncturing ripe fruit. It’s also important to keep a close eye on neglected or wild stone fruit trees, as these act as reservoirs for the disease.

Treatments

To prevent rotten fruit and cankers from appearing on fruit trees, use a fungicide. There are several fungicides that are labeled for this disease, including chlorothalonil, fenbuconazole, and iprodione. You can also practice cultural control techniques, such as pruning trees to reduce inoculum load and prevent outbreaks. Pruning will also help you reduce wet conditions on infected fruit.

Fungicides are available for treating plants. Fungicides for treating a tree’s brown rot infection should be applied one to three days before harvest. Farmers can apply the fungicide at the packinghouse to avoid damaging the fruit. Fludioxonil, for example, is registered for post-harvest use on stone fruit, including peaches and pears. This fungicide is highly effective in controlling brown rot.

A home-based method of controlling the disease is sanitation. At the end of harvest, remove all fruit from trees and burn any twigs that show the symptoms of brown rot. Similarly, rake and burn fallen fruit to prevent the spread of the disease. Brown rot is a serious problem, so take steps to control the disease. There are many methods available for treatment. If you cannot afford to hire a professional, try these methods.

Biological control agents

Biological control agents (BCAs) are the most effective ways to manage brown rot in apple orchards. These agents can be applied as a spray or mixed with fungicides at low concentrations. Most trials were classified under scenario 3, while 12.5% fell under scenario 2.

The causal agent of brown rot is the fungus Monilinia laxa, which also causes blossom wilt and twig canker on fruit trees. Conventional management of this disease involves application of fungicides or costly physical control methods. However, some research has shown that biological control agents can be effective against the Monilinia species. However, only a few have been commercialized.

Several strains of B. subtilis (B-3) were tested for their ability to inhibit the growth of Monilinia fructicola on stone fruit. The effects of B-3 were compared to those of three other bacterial species, B. subtilis and B. thuringiensis. The B-3 strain significantly reduced the incidence of brown rot on all fruit species in the study. B-3 concentrations inhibited the development of brown rot by 106 or 107 colony forming units per milliliter.