Transit rot
Cause | The fungus Rhizopus stolonifer. |
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Symptoms | Transit rot appears after harvest and can cause sporadic losses of fruit under high humidity conditions. Pale watery lesions appear and fungal growth may cover affected fruit. Black spores appear among white fungal growth. |
How does it spread | The disease can spread from fruit to fruit and from contaminated packaging material such as wood wool. It affects fruit on or near the soil and through contact with infested fruit. Transit rot is worse in warm, wet weather and an cause serious breakdown in transit or storage. |
Crops affected | Mango, tomato, capsicum, rockmelon, stone fruit and sweetpotato. |
Control options | Post-harvest control of transit rot Wood wool should not be used as packing material as it can act as a source of Rhizopus infection. It also causes surface scratching. No fungicides are approved for control of transit rot in mangoes. Avoid long-term storage of fruit. Chemical registrations and permits |