FUNGICIDES EFFECT ON THE HEART ROT INFESTATIONS AT POMEGRANATE FRUIT

Abstract

The aim of present study was to determine the effects of four fungicide applications on Heart rot caused by Alternaria spp at pomegranate fruits. Heart root causes decay at pomegranate arils without obvious external symptoms. Slight change in shape and abnormal skin colour occur at infested fruits but it is highly difficult to comprehend fruits on the tree and even in pack houses. Studies conducted in 2015 on two different pomegranate orchards with Wonderful cv. located in Northern Cyprus. The experiment was planned in completely randomized block design and repeated in two orchards. Four replications were assigned for each treatment and five plants were selected for each replication. The treatments of present study are: Control; Cupper oxide; Azoxystrobin; Boscalid + Pyraclostrobin; and Propiconazole + Difenoconazol. Two repeated applications of copper oxide were performed before flowering and two repeated applications of other three fungicides performed during flowering and fruit set. Fruits of the each replication were harvested by hand at commercial maturity. All fruits were counted and put in different plastic creates and brought to pack house for analysis. Thus, all fruits were cut to determine if disease exist. Number of infected fruits by heart rot was noted and data from the experiments were subjected to the analysis of variance. Mean separations were done by using Tukey’s multiple range test at P < 0.05. Results showed that there is a significant difference between the percent infestations of Heart rot in Orchard 1 and Orchard 2. However, the effects of tested chemicals are found to be similar in both orchards. According to the results obtained, as expected, the highest Heart rot infestation was found to be at the control treatment with 8.8% and the highest effect measured at Propiconazole + Difenoconazol application with only 2.4%. All treatments were found to be effective in reducing the infestations of Heart rot and significant differences were determined among the treatments. Percent infestation of Heart rot for Boscalid + Pyraclostrobin, Copper oxide and Azoxystrobin applications were measured as 3.7%, 4.2% and 6.9%, respectively.  

Keywords

• Alternaria spp.,Copper oxide,Northern Cyprus,Propiconazole + Difenoconazol,Wonderful cultivar

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