Diseases of fruits during storage

Stored fruits are affected by so many diseases. Varietal qualities, in particular the morphological features of the fetus, determine the extent of the lesion. Thus, for varieties with an open cup( through which infection easily penetrates), the disease is a "rotten heart".

Fruits can already enter the store from the garden with infected scab, fruit rot and other diseases. Sources of infection are present in the vault itself( gray, blue, pink, black mold and many others).As the temperature in the storage increases, the development of fruit rot increases, it can become massive and can be observed in almost all varieties. However, most often in the period of storage, apple fruits are affected by physiological diseases. Such diseases can be caused mainly by a violation of carbohydrate metabolism due to a violation of the timing of removal or storage regimen, as well as a lack or excess of macro- and microelements in the diet of the tree.

On the fruits of a certain variety( antonovka ordinary, Antonovka monastery, northern synap, sapphire pepin, Belarusian synapse, banana, Minsk, anise pyramidal and many others), there is a peeling of the peel( sunburn).This disease contributes to early eating, increased storage temperature, sharp changes in it, poor ventilation of the storage reservoir. At a delayed discharge( with autumn temperature drops below 0 ° C), a "wet burn" of the fruits in the vault is noted. When the temperature drops sharply in autumn( below -2 ° C), the fruits freeze, while either they are not stored at all or the length of their storage period is shortened. With a decrease and sharp fluctuations in temperature during the removal of fruits and in the future, when they are stored, the flesh ripens. In early removed fruit, the flesh can harden. When stored, apples can fall ill with "plumpness of fruits."They become dry, mealy, their skin tears. The disease is aggravated by over-ripening of fetuses, delayed removal, excessive moisture in the vault and, possibly, in excess of mineral nitrogen during cultivation.

Early picking promotes wilting of stored fruits. This disease is intensified with low humidity in the storage tanks( it should be at least 90%).But the degree of wilting depends on the varietal characteristics of the fruit. In many varieties, due to late picking apples or high temperature during storage, there are dark spots on the skin, the so-called "Jonathan spotting"( characteristic of the Jonathan variety).To reduce the damage of fruit during storage of this disease, trees should be sprayed with calcium salts( 10 treatments per season).It is recommended that after harvesting the fruits be treated with a 1.5% aqueous solution of calcium chloride.

However, the grower should be aware of the observance of a constant regime of temperature and humidity in the storage. The best results are obtained by storing apples in a modification gas environment.

Fruits can be stored in oiled paper, in leaves of mountain ash, interlacing them with sphagnum moss.