Penetration of Iprodine into Mesocrap Fruit Tissue and Suppresion of Gray Mold and Brown Rot of Sweet Cherries

The efficacy of iprodione in controlling postharvest decay of sweet cherries (Prunus avium) caused by Botrytis cinerea and Monilinia fructicola was related to penetration of the fungicide into the mesocarp tissue of the fruit. In laboratory studies, fruit sprayed with an aqueous suspension of iprodione at 600 or 1,200 μg a.i./ml (Rovral 50WP) 1 hr before inoculation or 24 hr after inoculation (20 μl of 25,000 conidia per milliliter), prevented decay or completely suppressed development of decay caused by B. cinerea or M. fructicola. Additionally, penetration of iprodione was shown when fruit surfaces were sprayed with iprodione at 1,200 μg a.i./ml and inoculated at the pit using a syringe containing a conidial suspension of B. cinerea or M. fructicola