44 MISC. PUBLICATION 4 9 8, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



GRAY MOLD ROT 



(Botnjtis sp.) 



Bof?yfis sp. sometimes causes considerable loss of figs on the market. 

 The fig tissue is softened, there is some leakage of juice, and a growth 

 of gray fluffy or velvety mycelium spreads over the surface. The 

 disease occurs chiefly on overripe fruit. 



Prompt refrigeration after harvest, at 40° to 45° F., greatly re- 

 tards although it does not entirely prevent the growth of the fungus. 



(See 25.) 



RHIZOPUS ROT 



(Rhizopus sp.) 



A rot caused by Rhizopus sp. has been found occasionally on fresh 

 figs on the market and has been reported from Louisiana and Cali- 

 fornia as attacking figs while they are still on the tree. The rot is 

 soft and leaky. The skin and flesh of the fig are browned, and the 

 affected area is covered with coarse, grayish mycelium followed by the 

 development of black fruiting bodies. 



Rhizopus rot is favored by damp, rainy weather in the orchard and 

 by high temperature and high humidity in transit or on the market. 

 Soft, overripe fruit is particularly susceptible to the disease. Figs 

 that are picked at proper maturity, carefully handled, promptly 

 cooled to 50° F. or lower, and kept cool will not be seriously affected 

 with rhizopus rot during the storage or transit period. 



(See do.) 



SOFT ROT (ENDOSEPSIS) 



(Fusariiun mohiliforme Sheldon 10 ) 



Soft rot of figs is characterized externally by water-soaked areas 

 in the skin and a pink or purple color in such areas. These may 

 occur around the e} T e or may spread out over the sides (pi. 20, A). 

 The flesh and pulp underneath them are yellowish brown, disinte- 

 grated, and soft and watery, and usually have an offensive odor (pi. 

 20, B). Frequentl}' they are so affected even when the outside of the 

 fruit appears to be sound. 



The rot is known at present only in California on caprifigs and on 

 Calimyrna and other edible, caprified varieties; that is, on varieties 

 that do not set fruit unless they are pollinated by the fig wasp, Blas- 

 tophaga p$enes (L.). The wasp is the agent by which the infection 

 is spread. Spores of the fungus in caprifigs are carried out of these 

 figs and into those of the edible variety on the body of the female 

 wasp. The fungus grows in caprifigs as well as in the edible varieties 

 but causes most decay in the latter. 



The disease has become rather serious during the last few years in 

 California fig gardens, but no estimates of the percentage of fruit 

 affected are available. 



To date no methods of control have been developed. 



(See 26, 29, SO, 3J>.) 



10 Perfect stage, Oibherella fujikuroi (Sawada) Wr. 



