Fungi associated with fruit rots of Actinidia chinensis ‘Hort16A’ in New Zealand

Abstract

A new yellow fleshed kiwifruit Actinidia chinensis var. chinensis ‘Hort16A’ grown commercially in New Zealand is susceptible to infection by several fungi. The symptoms are mainly apparent after a period in coolstorage although preharvest symptoms do occur. Botryosphaeria dothidea, Cryptosporiopsis sp., Diaporthe spp., Cylindrocarpon cf. candidum, Phoma exigua, and Botrytis cinerea have most commonly been isolated from a range of symptoms on fruit including side, distal end and stem end rots, and fungal pitting. In addition, wounds caused by postharvest fruit handling can become infected. During trials to establish the best methods of postharvest handling and storage, identifications of fungi associated with fruit rots were made. This paper outlines the observations of several years of study on diseases of ‘Hort16A’ kiwifruit and describes the symptoms and the fungi associated with them. © 2003 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.