temperature. 



In our study orchards, 

 the first flyspeck infections 

 on fruit occurred at the 

 earhest on July 16, nearly 

 30 days after the 

 production of ascospores 

 had stopped, and as late as 

 September 21, 90 days 

 after the end of ascospore 

 production. While fruit 

 infections first appeared by 

 mid- July at the earliest in 

 Massachusetts, they appear 

 earlier in warmer climates: 

 near the end of June in 

 West Virgmia (5), by late 

 May or early June in North 

 Carolina (3), and by the 

 beginning of May in 

 Alabama (6). Again, this 

 is not surprising given that 

 both tree development and 

 fungal development are 



in apples. In New 

 England, the period when 

 S pomi produces mature 

 asci generally starts at 

 late pink to bloom, and 

 contmues for 4 to 6 wks, 

 when fruit are 0.75 to 

 1.75 inches in diameter. 

 While the beginning and 

 end of ascospore 

 production coincided 

 with apple growth stage, 

 dates varied fi-om year to 

 year just as a growth 

 stage such as bloom 

 varies. For example, 

 depending on the orchard 

 and year, flyspeck 

 ascospores began to 

 mature as early as May 5 

 and as late as May 25, as 

 would be expected when 

 a process is highly 

 dependent on 



Fruit Notes, Volume 69, Summer, 2004 



