Abstract:
Gray mold, one of the most serious decay problems for pear fruit in the Pacific Northwest, is estimated to cause about $6 million in losses to the pear industry each year due to fruit rot in storage. These losses can be minimized by recognizing the factors that contribute to disease development and treating high-risk fruit appropriately. This publication describes gray mold disease symptoms and the disease cycle and outlines a model that can help pear packers predict the relative risk of gray mold development in stored fruit before the fruit is placed in cold storage.
