Chemical Control of Scald on Apples Grown in Eastern United States

Excerpts from the report: Apple scald, a superficial physiological disorder characterized by irregular-shaped brown blotches on the skin of apples, is a major source of loss during the late part of the storage season in the United States. The browning may be very light in some seasons on some varieties, or it may be severe and may progress until most of the surface is dark brown or almost black. Sometimes affected areas become rough and slightly depressed. Scald in its early stages may not affect dessert quality of apples, but it does make them less attractive. An immense amount of information about scald is available, as it has been widely studied for over 50 years. However, the cause is still unknown, although it is often associated with immaturity of fruit at harvest. Evaluation of chemical scald inhibitors at Beltsville, Md., was begun in 1956. This report summarizes trials during five storage seasons. The objective was to determine the value of DPA, Stop-Scald, and other materials on scald-sensitive varieties grown in the Cumberland-Shenandoah area of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, using different treating methods.