Pathogens of stored pear fruits

Abstract

The needs of the population for a continuous supply and use of pears in the diet throughout the year caused that the fruits of this fruit species are usually not immediately brought to the market or used, but are stored in warehouses for a shorter or longer time after harvesting, during which they are often exposed to attack by various pathogenic microorganisms. Although there are no precise data on the losses caused by various pathogens on stored pear fruits in our country, it is quite certain that they are large, both due to the often inadequate storage conditions and the fact that less attention is paid to the storage of the harvested fruits than to their production. Phytopathogenic fungi are the most important cause of rot and deterioration of stored pear fruits. Therefore, the paper describes the characteristic symptoms of the 30 most important diseases of stored pear fruits caused by various pathogens, as well as an overview of other less significant pathogens that can appear on pear fruits during their storage. The measures for their suppression are especially emphasized and elaborated, so that the economic losses caused by these pathogens can be, if not completely avoided, at least reduced to a tolerable measure.