Infection of apple fruit by Sphaeropsis pyriputrescens in the orchard in relation to Sphaeropsis rot in storage

Sphaeropsis rot, caused by Sphaeropsis pyriputrescens, is an important postharvest disease of apple in the United States. The objectives of this study were to determine the timing of apple fruit infection in the orchard in relation to development of Sphaeropsis rot in storage and to identify infection courts and mode of penetration by S. pyriputrescens on apple fruit. Fruit of apple cvs Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Fuji were inoculated in the orchard from 3 weeks after petal fall to 2 weeks before harvest at 5 to 6-week intervals in three consecutive seasons. All fruit were harvested and stored at 0?ºC to monitor decay development. Light and scanning electron microscopy were used to examine the infection courts and mode of penetration of the fungus on/in the host tissues. At harvest, the fungus was re-isolated from the stem (pedicel), sepal, anther, or filament of the inoculated fruit, but decay did not develop on fruit. Sphaeropsis rot developed on inoculated fruit during cold storage beginning 1–3 months after harvest. Stem-end rot was prevalent on cv. Golden Delicious, whereas calyx-end rot was prevalent on cv. Fuji. Both stem- and calyx-end rots were common on cv. Red Delicious. Infection also occurred at lenticels on fruit skin, particularly on cv. Golden Delicious, but at low incidence. Relationships between the incidence of Sphaeropsis rot in stored apple fruit and the timing of inoculation in the orchard varied with cultivar and year. On cv. Red Delicious apples, the incidence of Sphaeropsis rot generally increased as the timing of infection approached harvest. Histological studies indicated that infection took place through natural openings of plant organs such as stomata on stems and sepals and lenticels on fruit skin. Fungal penetration also was observed at micro-cracks on the stem and sepal and at trichome sockets where mechanical damage occurred in sepals. Direct penetration was observed on the stem and sepal of fruit, but most invasions were restricted between the cuticle and the epidermis. Our results indicate that wounding is not required for infection of apple fruit by S. pyriputrescens, though it may facilitate infections.