FRUIT EXPORT TRADE

Otago Witness, Issue 4063, 26 January 1932, Page 27

FRUIT EXPORT TRADE

CAUSES OF WASTAGE REPORT .OF. INVESTIGATIONS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, December 10. The Empire Marketing Board has published a report of an investigation by the Economic Section of the Empire Marketing Board into the deterioration in transit of Australian and New Zealand fruit. This treatise, which is procurable at His Majesty’s Stationery Office and Overseas branches (Is), is particularly interesting to orchardists in the Dominion.

Investigations have been going on since 1927, and the present report includes the material of the progress report in 1927, together with further observations made during the seasons 1928, 1929, and 1930. Wastage in Australian and New Zealand apples shipped to the United Kingdom may be broadly divided into two main types—(l) wastage due to rotting by fungi, and (2) wastage resulting from various physiological diseases—i.e., diseases not connected with fungi, But caused by abnormal changes in the metabolism of the apple itself. Apples infested by insect pests appear to be fairly effectively graded out before shipment, and, although serious losses often occur in the orchards from such pests, comparatively little insect injury has been noted in imported • apples during the present survey.

FUNGAL DISEASES. Observations in wholesale and retail markets make it abundantly evident that rotting by fungi is one of the most important causes of wastage in Australian and New Zealand apples, and is responsible for serious losses. Striking evidence of this nature has also been obtained in storage trials with imported Australian and New Zealand apples undertaken by the Food Investigation Board. When the fruit first arrives on the British market, however, fungal rotting is seldom very extensive; its main development occurs during. the later stages of marketing as the fruit ripens after removal from refrigeration. °

The percentage of fungal rotting observed in New Zealand varieties at dock examinations during 1927-29 was:—Cleopatra, 0.2; Cox’s, 2.3;’ Delicious, 1.1; Dougherty, 0.2; Dunn’s Seedling, 0.2; Jonathan. 0.5; London Pippin, 1.0; Rome Beauty, 0.5; Statesman, 0.7; and Sturmer Pippin, 0.6. ROUGH HANDLING. In general (the report continues) the greater part of the wastage at the time of unloading was caused' by the common fungi Penicillium expansum and, to a less extent, Botrytis cinerea. These fungi together probably accounted for fully 80 per cent, of the rotting observed at the dock examinations. As a rule, one or two-rotted apples were found in a box, and extensive, rotting was rare except in particularly ripe samples or secondary to internal breakdown. ... In boxes containing one or two decayed apples, the rots were most usually found at the sides or corners and appeared to have originated from case injuries. Bruises, stem punctures, and similar wounds were the most general points of entry for fungi, but a smaller number of rots originated at the stem end, the calyx, lenticels and scab injuries were also observed. Core rots were fairly frequently noted in the Cleopatra and Delicious varieties. It is evident from the high proportion of infection originating from mechanical injuires, both in hard and soft varieties, that rotting could be appreciably reduced if greater precautions were taken to handle the fruit carefully during harvesting, packing, and transport. Considerable attention is now paid to this matter, but a large amount of bruising is still caused by rough handling. There is also need for more careful packing to ensure that the fruit receives the maximum protection. Case bruising and subsequent rotting wag often caused by too high a pack, no pronounced difference in this respect being noted as between the hardwood “ dump ” case and the soft wood case.

CLEANLINESS IN THE ORCHARD. Observations made by the Food Investigation Board on the development of wastage after unloading in imported New Zealand apples suggest that, in addition to fungal rotting following bruising, there is also in some varieties serious wastage from fungi which do not invade the fruit at mechanical injuries, but at the stem-end, calyx, and lenticels. An analysis was made of the species of fungi causing wastage in samples of Cox’s Orange Pippin, Jonathan, and Sturmer Pippin apples, and in each variety a high proportion of the rotting proved to be due to one fungus. The conclusion was therefore drawn (1) that “since over 75 per cent, of this wastage is the result of infection at the stalk or calyx, and does not, so far as can be observed, follow wounding, care in handling will do little to control it; on the other hand, since it is caused by a single fungus in each case, control might be secured by cleanliness in the orchard, and spraying.” It should be remembered, however, that these observations were made with specially selected experimental fruit handled as carefully as possible, and it is probable that with ordinary commercial fruit wastage from bruising would have been more important.

Another table shows the percentage of bitter pit observed in New Zealand varieties at dock examinations. They are—Cleopatra, 0.9; Cox’s, 4.8; Delicious,

0.6; Dougherty, 0.4; Dunn’s, 2.6; Jonathan, 0.4; and London Pippin, 0.1. Other sections of; the report deal with internal breakdown, brown heart, freezing injury, and wastage in pears.