| Blue and green mold are two of the most
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| | Their growth is slowed by lowering the
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| important post-harvest diseases that can
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| | temperature and cooling fruits while they
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| affect a citrus crop.
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| | are being stored and shipped are a good
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| The infection that occurs the most
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| | way to decrease the amount of infections
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| frequently is green mold and it is caused
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| | in a shipment. Losses from these molds
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| by the mold Penicillium digitatum. It
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| | can also be greatly reduced by taking
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| exists in all citrus fruit growing
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| | special care during harvesting and
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| regions and is a serious threat to the
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| | transporting not to bruise or break the
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| citrus industry.
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| | skin of the fruits.
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| When the fruit is bruised or punctured
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| | Fruits mainly become infected when their
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| while it is being harvested or packed,
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| | outer skin is broken and mold spores make
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| the mold enters the fruit through these
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| | their way inside either from contaminated
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| wounds and therefore, this disease can be
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| | soil, another infected fruit, or through
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| contracted by fruit on the tree, in the
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| | the air. Fungicides can also be used to
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| packinghouse where the fruit is prepared
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| | reduce the amount of infections. Also,
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| for the market, while in transit to the
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| | any equipment used to pack the fruit and
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| store, in storage, and the retail store.
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| | anywhere they are stored should be
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| At first, only a white mold is seen
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| | sanitized every day to reduce the chance
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| growing on the outside of the fruit and
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| | of the fruit becoming infected.
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| later begins to turn green due to the
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| | The spores of both of these molds are
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| large amount of spores that are being
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| | very easily spread by air currents and
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| produced on the surface of the fruit.
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| | any fruits that are contaminated with
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| The fruit begins to decay and become
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| | them should not be exposed to wind or
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| soft. It shrivels up and dies as a
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| | other currents of air near any healthy
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| result.
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| | fruit due to the likelihood of it
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| Blue mold is caused by the fungus
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| | becoming infected.
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| Penicillium italicum and it is different
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| | Fruits can also become infected due to
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| from green mold mainly because of the
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| | other physical injuries such as those
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| color. The conditions that the two molds
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| | associated with stem-end rind breakdown
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| grow in are very similar and tend to grow
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| | and chilling injuries.
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| best at around 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
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