17: New Discoveries about Sour Rot

Sour rot is a disease complex composed of various yeast, fungi, and bacteria that ferment grape juice released from wounded berries. Megan Hall has demonstrated that the symptoms of sour rot will only develop when fruit flies (Drosophila spp.) are present. Spraying antimicrobial materials with an insecticide weekly from 15° Brix until harvest has shown success at stopping the advance of sour rot.

References:

• Megan Hall’s Cornell University Page
• Summer Bunch Rot (Sour Rot) Pest Management UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines
• Defining and Developing Management Strategies for Sour Rot - Megan Hall, Gregory Loeb, and Wayne Wilcox

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