Efficacy of a post-harvest fungicide treatment with pyrimethanil via thermo-nebulization for controlling storage rots in apples

Apples are very susceptible to infections from various fungal pathogens during the growing season due to prolonged exposure to environmental influences in the field. Therefore, a strict and targeted fungicide strategy is essential to protect fruit and trees. Increased environmental and health concerns and pathogen resistance have resulted in a rising demand to reduce fungicide usage and residues on marketed fruit. Thus, producers must develop new plant protection strategies to conform to the legal and social demands while still offering high-quality apples. This study assessed the efficacy of a post-harvest fungicide treatment with pyrimethanil via thermo-nebulization for controlling storage rots and compared the results to those of standard pre-harvest fungicide strategies. The results showed that a single post-harvest application of pyrimethanil successfully controlled?storage rots and is comparable to strategies using multiple pre-harvest fungicide applications. The?control of fungal rot was sustained even after 5 months of storage and 2 weeks of shelf life. Thermonebulization into the storage facility allowed for a lower dosage of fungicide to be used compared topre-harvest applications, while still maintaining optimal rot control. Residue analyses showed that?the post-harvest fungicide treatment did not exceed legal or retailer?s standards. SourceAssessment of a Postharvest Treatment with Pyrimethanil via?Thermo-Nebulization in Controlling Storage Rots of ApplesFelix B?chele, Daniel A. Neuwald, Christian Scheer,?Rachael M. Wood,?Ralf T. V?gele, and Jens N. W?nsche?Agronomy?2022, 12, 34. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12010034 Picture by globovision.com