Spots on Honeycrisp Apples: What are They and How to Differentiate Them?
Zarah Ahmed, Candidate for B.S. in Physiology and Neurobiology & Macarena Farcuh, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist University of Maryland, College Park
What are physiological disorders?
Physiological disorders can be defined as abnormal growth patterns that can impact the external and internal conditions of fruit. They are not caused by insects, pests, or mechanical damage, but rather by environmental factors or production practices (pre- and postharvest). The development of physiological disorders will directly impact fruit quality, thus increasing fruit losses and reducing fruit marketability and profitability.
Particularly for Honeycrisp apples, there are different types of physiological disorders that can develop both on the tree as well as during storage, but only some of them are characterized by the development of spots in the skin and sometimes flesh. Some of these include bitter pit, lenticel blotch pit and lenticel breakdown. Being able to differentiate among these will be beneficial in identifying them properly and working to prevent their future incidence.
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