5 steps to using Luna Sensation on Stonefruit
Brown rot (Monilinia fruiticola) is the most economically devastating disease for stonefruit growers. Infections can result in yield losses through fruit rots at harvest. Latent infections not visible at harvest develop into rots in storage and reduce shelf life in the post-harvest food chain.
Cultural techniques including maintaining an open canopy, removing diseased wood and removing mummified fruits can assist by reducing inoculum sources in the orchard. However for economic control a seasonal fungicide programme is required. The critical periods for fungicide applications are through the key infection periods – from early flowering through shuck fall and pre-harvest.
Brown rot infections occur in ripening fruit when wet weather occurs 3 to 4 weeks prior to harvest. However, this can often be caused by a latent infection which has occurred over the flowering period. It is important to have a season long fungicide program starting from early flowering through to harvest to prevent infection development. Luna Sensation provides growers with a powerful new tool for incorporation into Brown rot control programmes.
