Time of Infection of Gloeodes pomigena and Schizothyrium pomi on Apple in North Carolina and Potential Control by an Eradicant Spray Program. E. M. Brown, Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695-7616. T. B. Sutton, Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695-7616. Plant Dis. 77:451-455. Accepted for publication 14 December 1992. Copyright 1993 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-77-0451.

Infection of apples (Malus × domestica) by Gloeodes pomigena (cause of sooty blotch) occurred by mid-May, 10–21 days after petal fall. Infection by Schizothyrium pomi (cause of flyspeck) occurred by late May or early June. Infection by both pathogens was extensive by the first week of June. The time that sooty blotch and flyspeck symptoms became visible was related to the frequency of rainfall in June. Benomyl combined with captan or mancozeb applied when sooty blotch first was observed in the orchard demonstrated eradicant activity in 1987 but not in 1989 or 1990. At harvest, coverage of the fruit surface with sooty blotch and flyspeck (severity) in eradicant treatments which included benomyl was not significantly different from the standard protectant treatments. An eradicant spray program for sooty blotch and flyspeck on fresh fruit was not cost effective but may be a viable option for growers of processing fruit.