New technique predicts gray mold in stored kiwifruit

Sampling fruit from vineyards 4 months after fruit set and recording the incidence of Botrytis colonization in sepals or stem ends was used as a field-monitoring method to predict the incidence of kiwifruit Botrytis gray mold after 3 or 5 months in cold storage. Spraying the fungicide vinclozolin one or two weeks before harvest significantly reduced postharvest gray mold after 5 months storage only in vineyards with more than 6% gray mold. Preharvest sprays were not needed when expected gray mold was below 6%. The method reported here can be used successfully by growers to make decisions about preharvest sprays, sorting, repacking and when to market and ship fruit.