Open AccessSustainable Apple Disease Management in China: Challenges and Future Directions for a Transforming Industry
Author(s) -
Xiaofei Liang,
Zhang Rong,
Mark L. Gleason,
Guangyu Sun
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
plant disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.663
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1943-7692
pISSN - 0191-2917
DOI - 10.1094/pdis-06-21-1190-fe
Subject(s) - china , context (archaeology) , economic shortage , scale (ratio) , biology , business , microbiology and biotechnology , agroforestry , political science , geography , paleontology , linguistics , philosophy , cartography , government (linguistics) , law
Apple trees are grown worldwide, and consuming fresh apple fruit is associated with many health benefits. China produces about half of the world’s apple supply. However, apple growing in China differs sharply from that in western countries in terms of the prevalent diseases and corresponding management strategies. For instance, family-owned small-scale orchards dominate China’s apple industry, and manual bagging of fruit has been a long-standing practice for controlling fruit diseases. In recent years, rural labor shortages have been increasingly challenging the traditional production system, and China’s apple industry is experiencing a rapid transition to much larger-scale enterprises featuring high-density orchards with advanced automation and mechanization. Associated with this transition are new challenges and grower demands that are changing the face of apple disease management. This Feature Article summarizes the ongoing transformation of China’s apple industry in the context of sustainable disease management.