Brown Rot in Stonefruit

The fungal organisms that cause brown rot of stone fruits are Monilinia fructicola and Monilinia laxa. The symptoms of brown rot are blossom blight, twig blight, cankers, leaf shot-hole, quiescent infection and brown rot of the fruit. Infection of the fruit usually occurs as the fruit approaches full ripeness. A rapidly spreading firm brown rot develops and the fungus produces masses of fawn-coloured spores often in concentric zones. Infected fruit shrivel to a “mummy”. If this remains in the tree it continues to produce spores. Brown rotted fruit in cold storage appear black and there may be no signs of sporulation.