Fruit injury in organic fruit production and its relationship to brown rot caused by Monilinia spp.

During the season fruit injury can occur due to various factors, such as codling moth (Cydia pomonella) (Xu et al., 2001, Holb, 2003, 2004), oriental fruit moth (Cydia molesta) (14), tortrix moths (Pandemis and Adoxophyes spp.) (Xu et al., 2001), various species of wasps (Lack, 1989), starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), blackbirds (Turdus merula), and crows (Corvus spp.) (Mitterling, 1965, Tobin et al., 1989, Leeuwen et al., 2000, Xu et al., 2001); growth cracks (Xu et al., 2001), and mechanical injury (Xu et al., 2001). Relative importance of injury factor depends on the efficacy of disease and pest management programs. For example, in an organic orchard with a less effective pest management program (Rader et al., 1985; IFOAM, 2000), the importance of the various wounding agents differred markedly from conventional or integrated productions (Holb and Scherm, 2008). Monilinia fructigena is an important fungal pathogen causing preand postharvest fruit rot in pome fruits (Byrde and Willetts, 1977, Holb, 2006, 2009). The pathogen belongs to the group of brown rot fungi which includes two other important species, M. laxa and M. fructicola. M. fructigena, in contrast to M. laxa or M. fructicola, can infect fruit through fresh or partially healed wounds (Byrde and Willetts, 1977, Xu et al., 2000). So it may egsist a strong relationship between fruit injury and Monilinia infection of fruits, especially in organic orchards. The objectives of this study were to study the temporal progress of brown rot incidence and various injury types in organic fruit orchards and to determine the relationship between brown rot and injury types. Materials and methods