Brown Rot
Monilinia fructicola
high risk
fungus
Overview
The most economically important disease of stone fruits worldwide. Can destroy entire cherry, peach, plum, and nectarine crops.
Fruit rots rapidly with brown, soft, water-soaked areas. Gray-brown spore masses develop in concentric rings. Fruit may mummify.
Prevention Strategies
- •Remove mummified fruit from trees and ground
- •Prune for good air circulation
- •Avoid injuring fruit
- •Apply preventative fungicides at bloom
- •Plant resistant varieties
Control Methods
- •Captan fungicide
- •Myclobutanil fungicide
- •Copper fungicide at bloom
- •Remove infected fruit immediately
- •Destroy mummified fruit
Interesting Facts
- •Can turn a healthy peach into a shriveled mummy in 3-4 days
- •Spores can spread 100m in wind
- •Some strains are resistant to common fungicides
- •Mummified fruit left on trees are the primary overwintering source