ABSTRACT
Stone fruits are characterized by a relatively short postharvest life, passing quickly from ideal ripeness to overmature fruit, depending in part on temperature and handling practices. The fruit losses after harvest are mainly due to biotic diseases caused by fungal pathogens, although the storage of fruit at low temperature (2–7°C) can favor the appearance of physiological disorders collectively called as chilling injuries. Brown rot caused by Monilinia spp. is the main economically important fungal disease of stone fruits causing substantial preharvest and postharvest losses. Rhizopus stolonifer and Mucor piriformis are very important pathogens of stone fruits in many regions, and could be the second cause of fruit losses, just after brown rot. Grey mold, caused by Botrytis cinerea, is also an important postharvest disease of stone fruits overall under conducive conditions, especially on particularly susceptible cultivars. Other minor diseases are sour rot caused by Geotrichum candidum, blue mold caused by Penicillium spp., Alternaria rot caused by Alternaria alternata, and Cladosporium rot caused by Cladosporium spp. For each pathogen, symptoms, identification methods, life cycle, and disease management are discussed. After harvest, to slow the deterioration process and avoid the development of decays, stone fruits are stored at low temperature (between 2.2 and 7.6°C) that can negatively affect fruit quality and favor the appearance of disorders. The symptoms mainly develop during fruit shelf life, after storage, and the problems are not noticed until the fruit are consumed by customers. Chilling-damaged fruit can show different symptoms: mealiness or woolliness, leatheriness, internal browning, and internal reddening.
