Peach brown rot (Monilinia fructicola) was assessed to compare two production systems, integrated (PI) and conventional (PC), in an experiment conducted at Araucária and Lapa, Paraná State (south of Brazil) in the 2002/03 and 2003/04 crop seasons, assessing the infection of M. fructicola in budding phases and the incidence of brown rot on fruits. Correlations between budding infection phases and brown rot on mature fruits during the harvest were also investigated. During budding, pathogen infection incidence was assessed at five stages: late popcorn, pink bud, initial bloom, full bloom and petal fall. At ripening, the incidence of brown rot was assessed by considering the whole production throughout the harvest. Data concerning disease incidence in the budding phases were grouped into three co-variables: total of diseased structures during the whole budding (CV1), in full bloom (CV2) and at the end of budding (CV3), analyzed in relation to the production system and correlated with the incidence at harvest. The pathogen was detected only in the flower, stamens and stigma structures from the fully open flower. PI presented a lower incidence during budding in 2002 in Araucária and in the two years in Lapa. At harvest, there was 5% more disease incidence in PI in the Araucária 2002/03 crop season. However, in the following crop season the disease had the same incidence in both systems. In Lapa, PI was more efficient in controlling disease. There was significant correlation between harvest and budding concerning the CV1 and CV3 co-variables for the 2002/03 crop.
peach; control; integrated production; monitoring
