BIOLOGY AND CONTROL OF BROWN ROT FUNGI ON SOME STONE FRUITS

Abstract

Stone fruits production in Egypt is economically important. The brown rot fungi, Monilinia spp., are major pathogens attacking several stone fruit crops i.e. apricot, nectarine and peach worldwide. Crop losses from brown rot disease can occur pre-harvest, but it is also a major cause of fruit rot during transit or at market. The present study was established since 2012 to isolate and identify brown rot fungi attacking major stone fruit crops in the most common production locations in Egypt, using morphological and molecular methods, and to search for alternative environmentally control measures to control the disease, either preharvest or during fruit storage.