Cladosporium carpophilum
Written by:
Elizabeth Garofalo
Overview
- caused by fungus Cladosporium carpophilum
- also infects apricot and nectarine
- typically of minor importance in New England
- affects appearance and market value of fruit and can be entry point for brown rot
Symptoms
- olive to black spots velvety spots on fruit, twigs, and leaves
- on fruit has a tendence to be more severe on near stem end
- lesions can combine to form larger areas of disease and can result in fruit cracking
- shoot and twig infections are slightly raised and round to oval, brown in color with purple margins later in the season
Disease cycle
- overwinters in the tree as twig infections
- infection begins at shuck split and peaks in 2 to 6 weeks with high humidity
- fungus is air- and water-borne
- fruit is susceptible to infection from shuck split until harvest
Management
- prune to maintain air movement in canopy
- where a problem, fungicide sprays (Bravo at shuck split, Captan applied thereafter, sulfur) at 10 to 14 day intervals should begin at shuck split and continue until 40 days before harvest
