Study of Fitness, Virulence, and Fungicide Sensitivity of Lambertella corni-maris Causing Yellow Rot on Apple

Abstract

Very little is known about the biology, epidemiology, and best practices to manage Lambertella rot, a newly identified postharvest disease caused by Lambertella corni-maris on apples in the United States. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of L. corni-maris in 92 grower lots throughout Washington State in 2016, evaluated the effect of nutrient availability on L. corni-maris growth, and L. corni-maris sensitivity to pH, osmotic stress, and fungicides in vitro. We assessed pathogen aggressiveness on major apple cultivars and the efficacy of pre- and postharvest fungicides to control L. corni-maris on detached fruit. L. corni-maris was widespread and was found in 40% of the growers lots surveyed at frequencies ranging from 2 to 40% of the total decay. The fungus grew faster on acidic media such as apple juice agar and V8 agar media and was able to grow equally at pH values ranging from 3 to 7. L. corni-maris isolates showed relatively low sensitivity to osmotic stress and grew evenly at 1M KCl. All nine apple cultivars tested were susceptible to L. corni-maris, but the disease severity was significantly higher on some cultivars such as Honeycrisp, Piñata, and Gala. The baseline sensitivity of 100 L. corni-maris isolates was determined based on the effective concentration necessary to inhibit 50% mycelial growth (EC50) for fludioxonil, boscalid, pyraclostrobin + SHAM, pyrimethanil, and thiabendazole. The respective mean EC50 values were 0.07, 0.84, 1.32, 2.45, and 3.68 µg/ml. Fludioxonil and pyrimethanil applied at label rates were the only fungicides able to control L. corni-maris effectively on detached apple fruit. This study is a first step toward understanding the eco-physiological requirements for L. corni-maris to survive and cause decay on apple, assessing potential shifts in fungicide sensitivity, and enhancing Lambertella rot management. We suggest “yellow rot” as the new common name for Lambertella rot.