Development and Commercial Implementation of Scald Risk Assessment Tools for Apple Storage Risk Management

Superficial scald is a peel browning disorder of apple that is responsible for significant annual crop losses during storage. We are continuing to develop biomarker-based tests to assess risk for this disorder at the beginning of the storage period to afford. As part of our ongoing project, our objectives are (1) to facilitate commercial testing and implementation of existing tools and (2) to continue to find new biomarkers that more accurately assess scald risk during and following harvest. We expect to determine the utility of existing and new biomarker-based tools for agricultural service providers to aid fruit producers in managing apple storage stock.