As part of an OMAFRA-University of Guelph Alliance project, we’re looking for grower cooperators from all growing districts that are interested in participating in a bitter rot survey.
In 2019/2020, a provincial survey looked at the incidence and distribution of bitter rot. In addition to the known dominant bitter rot species, Colletotrichum fioriniae, a new species of this pathogen was also identified that has not been reported in Ontario before. This fall, the research team would like to do a more thorough investigation of what species of Colletotrichum are found in Ontario orchards and to determine early resistance in different species, if present.
What do we need from growers? If you have had issues with bitter rot in previous years and are willing to participate, our team would collect symptomatic fruit, leaves and weeds within the orchard prior to harvest.
If interested, please contact Kristy Grigg-McGuffin at 519-420-9422 (call/text) or kristy.grigg-mcguffin@ontario.ca or Katie Goldenhar at 519-835-5792 (call/text) or katie.goldenhar@ontario.ca.