Chestnut rot evaluation trials (CH23002)

What is it all about?

This project is delivering chestnut rot trials of Difenoconzole and Pyraclostrobin to establish their level of efficacy and ensure there are no issues with the quality and safety of the subsequent nuts. This project is the first step towards achieving permit and/or label registration of chemicals that the chestnut industry could use to control/manage nut rot.

Nut rot of chestnuts is an emerging disease becoming of worldwide importance. In Australia, up to 70 per cent of chestnuts may be affected, while in Europe, losses may be as high as 90 per cent. The disease is mainly expressed after harvest and is cryptic, as healthy-looking nuts on the surface are rotten internally. It is a disease of great economic importance as infected nuts cannot be consumed, reducing consumer confidence when unknowingly purchasing infected chestnuts.

The research team will:

• Work with growers to establish specific farm trials to minimise the effects of nut rot.
• Detail the trials, including the application times and rates, weather conditions and other specific application processes.
• Undertake the collection of vegetative samples at appropriate times and have the samples tested for the presence/absence of nut rot.
• Undertake the collection of the nuts at harvest and have the samples tested for both the presence/absence of nut rot and any specific chemical residues.
• Prepare a full report on the grower trials.
• Undertake a review of past and current available climatic data and assess past incidents of nut rot.