Apples

Vegetable and Fruit News, Volume 14, Issue 7 (September 2023). Topics include: Superficial Scald in Apples, Apple Workshop, Reduce Vegetable Diseases Next Year, Frequently Asked Questions for Value-Added Producers, Monthly Scouting Tips, SARE Farmer Grants, Cold Storage Grant program, and Dr. Jerry Brust Retires.

Vegetable and Fruit News, Volume 14, Issue 7 (October 2023). Topics include: Spring Cover Crops for Weed Management, Farm Food Safety Culture, Biosolarization Weed Management, Northeast SARE, UME Nutrient Management, Program Update, Genome Editing, Maryland Pesticide News, and Upcoming Events

What is superficial scald in apple fruits and what causes it? Physiological disorders correspond to abnormalities that can occur in any of the apple tissues, and can result in loss of quality, marketability, and profitability, leading to increased loss and wastage of apples. These disorders are caused by abiotic factors such as genotype/genetic background, maturity at harvest, orchard/preharvest factors, seasonal variations, and postharvest storage conditions. It is important to mention that pathogens or mechanical damage do not lead to physiological disorders.

Chilling injury in Honeycrisp apples is expressed in two main formats: soft scald and soggy breakdown, both of which lead to a loss of quality, marketability, and profitability, and therefore an increase in fruit loss and waste. Soft Scald symptoms are characterized by a light-dark brown soft sunken discoloration patch on the apple skin (Fig. 1).

Water core in apples: what is it, what causes it and how can it be controlled? Water core (Fig. 1) is one of the many physiological disorders affecting apples. Physiological disorders are abnormalities in the various apple tissues that result in loss of quality, loss of marketability and increased loss of fruit that is discarded and not consumed. These disorders are caused neither by fungi, insects or viruses, nor by mechanical damage. The incidence of water core can vary from year to year. Not all apple varieties are affected equally, some of the most susceptible being Cox's Orange Pippin, Delicious, Fuji, Braeburn, Jonathan, Stayman, Starkrimson, although it can also be detected in Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and McInstosh, among others.

Sunburn on apples is irreversible damage that occurs to the fruit. Read more about how it happens and its prevention.

Russet on apples is a disorder of the skin that results in discoloration and changes to the ex-pected smooth texture of the skin of apples. Russet appears as a spectrum from mild brown weblike pat-terns to severe rough changes on the surface of ap-ples and many variations in between (Fig. 1). Rus-seting is only skin deep and thus will not affect the flesh of the fruit. It can occur due to naturally-occurring weather conditions, particularly humid and wet weather.

Fruit cracking is a phenomenon that strongly limits fruit quality and yields, decreasing fruit marketability and grower profitability. Fruit cracking starts with microcracks in the skin. The skin acts as a protective layer covering the flesh, and consists of a cuticle made of cutin and wax.

Presentations from the Western Maryland Regional Fruit Meeting

Spots on Honeycrisp Apples: What are They and How to Differentiate Them? Authors: Zarah Ahmed, Candidate for B.S. in Physiology and Neurobiology, and Macarena Farcuh, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, and Extension Specialist, University of Maryland, College Park