Investigation of apple fruit rot control and of the diversity of wild yeast populations on cider and dessert apple varieties and outcomes on fermentation
- Research Date
- 2023
- Authors
- George Sundin
- Priorities
- Crop Quality, Disease Management
- Crop Categories
- Apples, Fruit
Bitter rot, a fruit rot caused by multiple species of the fungus Colletotrichum, affect a reliable apple supply every season. There is little information on the susceptibility of hard cider apple cultivars to bitter rot infection, and little information on fungicide control in cider apple cultivars. In this project, susceptibility ratings of low, moderate, and high were assigned to 22 cider cultivars. Standard and reduced-risk fungicides schedules including biocontrols showed effective control of bitter rot in the first-year trial. However, conventional fungicides provided bitter rot control that was numerically better than programs including biological controls. Wild yeasts may also have value in the biological control of fruit rots in the orchard. A core group of fungi were consistently found on all cider fruits across cultivars and the timepoints in this study with fluctuations in the proportion of the total community during sampling. The response of these communities to fungicide sprays was variable and will require further experiments to fully understand. Understanding seasonal yeast population dynamics on cider apple cultivars and correlations with rot incidence, and their influence on fermentation will impact the emerging craft cider industry in Michigan.