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- Bitter Rot of Apples
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The apple (Malus domestica) is a member of Rosaceae family and is known to have originated in Central Asia. It is grown worldwide, and the United States ranks No. 2 in apple production in the world (with China as No. 1).
Apples usually are grown in colder climates because of their requirement of a minimum number of hours between 32 and 45 F during winter (chilling requirement), which leads to them blooming in spring. But some varieties of apples, including Anna, Dorsett Golden, Ein Shemer and Ozark Gold (north Louisiana), may perform well with the mild Louisiana winters.
Several fungal and bacterial pathogens can cause diseases on both trees and fruits. Three fungal diseases – black rot, white rot and bitter rot – commonly are known to occur on fruit. Of these three diseases, bitter rot is the most destructive and can result in significant yield loss in commercial production.
See pdf for more detail.
The LSU AgCenter and the LSU College of Agriculture