Document Type : review article
Authors
1
1Department of Horticultural Science , Faculty of Agriculture, Birjand University, Iran
2
Department of Horticultural Science and Engineering, Faculty of Plant Production, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
10.22092/rhsj.2025.363508.1077
Abstract
Rust in Fruit Trees: Causes and Management
Abstract
The fruit skin protects the flesh and seeds from the external environment and is responsible for the appearance of the fruit. In many horticultural crops, rust reduces the appearance of the fruit and consequently the commercial value of the fruit. In comparison with the primary skin of the fruit, which is usually of a distinct and shiny color, the secondary skin (periderm) of the fruit becomes reddish brown, dull and slightly rough. This secondary skin consists of cells with underlying cell walls, a phlogen and a phlogoderm. The skin of rusted (secondary) fruits has similar mechanical properties to the non-rusted (primary) skin. However, the skin of rusted fruits is more permeable to water vapor, so rusted fruits suffer from water loss in the post-harvest stage, reduced gloss, increased shrinkage and weight loss. Horticultural factors that cause rust include: growth expansion, surface moisture, mechanical damage, freezing temperatures, pests and diseases, and agricultural chemicals. This is caused by an increase in the incidence of cuticular microcracks. Microcracks disrupt the barrier properties of the cuticle. High O2 and low CO2 concentrations and more negative water potentials, spraying with gibberellins, cytokinins, or boron, and bagging the fruit (removal of surface moisture) are used to reduce rust. From a breeding perspective, genotypes with smaller, more uniform epidermal cells are less susceptible to rust.
Keywords: Gibberellins, Rust, Cytokinins, Cuticle.
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