Gloeosporium and Colletotrichum spp. are important causes of rotting in stored apples in UK, Europe and other parts of the world where the summers are usually wet.
- In the UK these fungi were responsible for significant losses (30-50%) in Cox in the 1960s and 70s but declined in importance with advent of CA storage and better knowledge on the nutrition of apples for storage.
In the UK three fungal species are responsible:
Gloeosporium album (Pezicula alba)
Gloeosporium perennans (Pezicula malicorticis)
Colletotrichum spp. (formerly Gloeosporium fructigenum) (Glomerella cingulata)
- Two species of Colletotrichum may be responsible – C. gloeosporiodes and C. acutatum. The relative importance of these two species on apple has not been investigated in the UK.
- G. album and G. perennans are most frequent on Cox. Colletotrichum spp. are usually more associated with poor quality or over-stored fruit.
- Often tests on young apple fruitlets in June indicate a high incidence of Colletotrichum infection.
- However, the rot fails to develop in store by the time the fruit is marketed.