The importance of pest and disease damage as a cause of commercial downgrading of apple fruit

Abstract

A 2-year study of downgrading and wastage in apples was part of a pest and disease control project in the Batlow district of New South Wales. Records were kept of specific reasons for rejection.One-third of the annual harvest was downgraded to grade 2, juice, or wastage. The main cause was physical damage (around 20%), especially due to bruising and injuries. Disease damage generally caused rejection of <1% of fruit, while insects generally damaged <5%. Other physical damage such as limb rub, sunburn, hail damage, russetting, and bitter pit accounted for most of the remaining downgrading.