Original scientific paper
Estimation of economic loss due to postharvest diseases of apple (cv. Idared) during four seasons
Dario Ivić
; Institute for Plant Protection, Croatian Centre for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Zagreb, Croatia
Zdravka Sever
; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Plant Pathology, Zagreb, Croatia
Tihomir Miličević
; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Plant Pathology, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
A study was conducted over 2004/05, 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10 in order to determine the significance and development of apple postharvest diseases during three months of storage. Fungicides were not applied during the last month of the growing season, and fruit were stored at storage room without temperature regulation. The incidence of postharvest diseases varied from 1.2 to 9.1% in different months and seasons, with the mean incidence of 1.9, 8.1, 2.9 and
3.8% in 2004/05, 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10, respectively. Brown rot (Monilinia fructigena) was the dominant postharvest disease in all assessment periods, occurring on 0.5 to 7.7% of fruit, with the mean incidence of 3.06 % in all seasons. Bitter rot (Colletotrichum spp.), gray mould (Botrytis cinerea) and blue mould (Penicillium expansum) were the other common diseases, recorded on average 0.48, 0.32 and 0.27% of fruit. Economic loss was estimated on the basis of disease incidence and the average price of apple according to the Market Information System in Agriculture database. If wholesale market prices were taken as a reference, average loss in different months of storage ranged from 5.16 to 52.78 € per ton of fruit. Mean estimated loss per ton of fruit and month of storage was 8.49 € in 2004/05, 46.02 € in 2007/08, 29.48 € in 2008/09, and 21.43 € in 2009/10. Using the open market place prices for calculation, average loss in different months of storage varied from 9.60 to 81.90 € per ton, and the mean estimated loss per tone of fruit and month of storage was 14.15, 69.58, 27.08 and 33.11 € in 2004/05, 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10, respectively.
Keywords
apple; economic loss; postharvest diseases
Hrčak ID:
119698
URI
Publication date:
31.3.2014.
Visits: 2.237 *