Monilinia ssp. causes blossom brown rot (BBR) (Picture A) leading to necrosis of flowers and shoots, and up to 80% fruit loss. Most of the apricot cultivars are susceptible to BBR and the efficacy of plant protection products is low.
Solution
Knowing the susceptibility of apricot cultivars when planting a new organic orchard is crucial. We propose a list of assessed cultivars suitable for organic apricot orchards establishment.
Description
Choosing low susceptible cultivars to BBR decreases the risk to economic damage and limits the use of plant
protection products.
Practical recommendation
• Infection: The infection of the flowers depends on climatic conditions (e.g., precipitation, humidity, tem-perature), phenological stages and cultivar susceptibility. The risk of infection is high when it rains between phenological stages D (opening of petals) and F (end of flowering). Symptoms occur around 30-35 days after flowering.
• Diagnostic: Symptoms of BBR can be confused with those of the Pseudomonas canker (PC). However, BBR starts from the tip of the branches, while PC usually starts at the basis of branches. While PC can attack single trees, BBR attacks are broader. The grey mycelium of BBR can be observed on flowers when condi-tions are wet (Picture B). On a petri dish, it appears in several layers (Picture C).
• Cultivars: Prefer a choice of varieties allowing for staggered flowering dates, to limit the risks of a year without harvest. The table below shows the susceptibility of 44 apricot cultivars to BBR, assessed in experiments conducted by GRAB and FiBL. It can be used to help choose cultivars.
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