{"id":4569,"date":"2011-03-02T13:42:49","date_gmt":"2011-03-02T18:42:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/ipm\/"},"modified":"2021-08-31T15:51:58","modified_gmt":"2021-08-31T19:51:58","slug":"5090e","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/ipm\/ipddl\/publications\/5090e\/","title":{"rendered":"Brown Rot of Stone Fruits"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n \n \"Print\n <\/a>\n <\/div><\/h3>\n

Pest Management Fact Sheet #5090<\/h3>\n

Bruce A. Watt, Extension Plant Pathologist<\/em><\/p>\n

For information about UMaine Extension programs and resources, visit extension.umaine.edu<\/a>.
\nFind more of our publications and books at extension.umaine.edu\/publications\/<\/a>.<\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Introduction<\/h3>\n

Brown rot is the most serious disease of stone fruits in Maine. It is caused by the fungus Monilinia fructicola<\/em>. Affected fruits include peaches, plums, cherries, apricots, and other Prunus<\/em> species. The disease is highly destructive and can ruin half or more of the fruit before harvest with the remaining fruit subject to post-harvest infection. Additional losses are caused by blighting of flowers and twigs.<\/p>\n

Symptoms<\/h3>\n

Brown rot is first seen as brown spots on the blossoms in the spring. The blossoms are soon blighted entirely and the infection can grow into the woody tissue producing cankers which may kill the entire twig (Fig.1). Such infections may be accompanied by the production of a gummy exudate. Under wet, humid conditions powdery-gray tufts of spores (conidia, Figs. 2,3,4) can be observed especially on the dead flowers. Conidia produced from these initial infections are responsible for fruit infections (Fig.5) later in the summer. Microconidia (Fig.6) may also be produced but their role in the infection process is not known.<\/p>\n\n\t\t