Pepino diseases (forum)

davewastech starts with ...
Hi folks,
Firstly I quite like my pepino. Taste is good and yield is high.
But about 10% get a sickness in the fruit. The attached photos were taken today of a very sick one. Sometimes the sickness is less extreme, but even a mild case makes the fruit taste bad.
My pepinos just grow on the ground and I put an Organza bag around each fruit to prevent fruit fly damage. Perhaps this means they are not that well ventilated (?)
Any thoughts?
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2

Time: 10th December 2015 5:26pm

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Original Post was last edited: 10th December 2015 9:58pm

About the Author davewastech
WILLOUGHBY EAST,2068,NSW
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Markmelb says...
I think you answered your question - looks like heat stroke - they cooked - Try shading too with frost cloth on 4 low stakes - light still gets thu :)

Time: 10th December 2015 8:40pm

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About the Author Markmelb
MOUNT WAVERLEY,3149,VIC
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davewastech says...
Well I hope it's just heat damage, but I'm not 100% sure. That photo may be a bit misleading because it's an extremely damaged fruit, but more commonly a fruit will just start collapsing on one side and resemble a soft, partly deflated soccer ball, without going black at all, and inside it will be grey looking. If left long enough then it will start going black and rotten. I just had a look at the bush to see if I could find one for a better photo, but couldn't find one. (Unfortunate...)
Anyway in the above photo you can see the fruit collapsing in the center, and that part isn't yet black.

Time: 14th December 2015 1:39pm

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Original Post was last edited: 14th December 2015 1:39pm

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jakfruit etiquette says...
It looks similar to sunburn on capsicum and tomato ( pepino relatives ).
Is the damage on the side facing the sun direction ?? It can also be caused after overhead irrigation in hot weather, water on the fruit acts like a lens. Also reflected heat from bare ground. After the sun damage, rot can get in.
I would check some clean fruit, to see if there is internal damage before the outside goes black. In that case the problem is probably infection.

Time: 15th December 2015 12:40am

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vic
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davewastech says...
The pepinos can become damaged on any side. If I open one that is starting to be affected it will be going grey looking inside long before the skin goes black. I'm starting to think that I should provide some low supports for them to climb up and keep the fruit from sitting on the ground. Sitting on the ground also leads to slug and snail damage to the fruit occasionally, and picking them from the ground is a bit tedious too, at least for people with back trouble.

Time: 15th December 2015 9:58pm

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Waterfall says...
I grow mine on a trellis to keep the fruit off the ground.

Time: 16th December 2015 6:27pm

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About the Author Waterfall
WATERFALL,2233,NSW
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Thithi says...
My pepino fruits look similar to those of davewastech. I cut them open and found larvae and earwigs inside. My peaches and apples didn't get these maggots luckily. Could someone identify laevae in the photo. Thanks
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 25th January 2016 5:31pm

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Original Post was last edited: 26th January 2016 12:26pm
About the Author Thithi
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davewastech says...
I can't identify, but you have a different problem to mine which are grey inside, but no insects or past evidence of insects in mine.

Time: 27th January 2016 5:46pm

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About the Author davewastech
WILLOUGHBY EAST,2068,NSW
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