TOMRA Food defect library
Apple Defects and Blemishes
About the TOMRA Apple Defects and Blemishes Glossary
The apple common defects and blemishes glossary was developed by the TOMRA Food Applications Engineering, Research and Development, and Product Management teams. This information was developed with a focus on defects and blemishes observed globally with demarcation noted on regional variations of defects. We have omitted some common defects of all apples, like decay.
Apple Puncture
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Defect Name |
Puncture |
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Other Names |
Piquete or herida Piquete or herida China: 破皮 |
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Subcategory |
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Type |
Defect |
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Symptoms and Signs |
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Cause & Disease Development |
Apple punctures are flesh damaged caused by stems or branches. They can occur at any point in the field, during harvest or post-harvest, during transport, or in storage. |
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More Information |
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Approved by |
Dr. Chris Johnston, Manager, Applications Engineering, TOMRA Food |
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Last Updated |
24 July 2024 |
Remove puncture defects from your yield with TOMRA Spectrim with LUCAi.
Apple Bruise
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Defect Name |
Bruise |
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Other Names |
Machu con fresco;machu con oxidado 新鲜瘀伤;老瘀伤 |
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Subcategory |
Fresh; old |
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Type |
Defect |
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Symptoms and Signs |
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Cause & Disease Development |
Apple bruises are the product of mechanical impact with bins, transport, post-harvest equipment or even other fruit. Bruising can happen in the field during harvest or post-harvest, during transportation or in storage.
Old bruises (machuconoxidado;老瘀伤)are bruises that have dried out during storage. |
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More Information |
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Approved by |
Dr.Chris Johnston, Manager, Applications Engineering, TOMRA Food |
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Last Updated |
24 July 2024 |
Ensure consistency across seasons, batches, varieties and operators with Spectrim with LUCAi.
Hail
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Defect Name |
Hail |
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Other Names |
Granizo 冰雹伤 |
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Subcategory |
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Type |
Defect |
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Symptoms and Signs |
Apples damaged by hail early in the season present with deep depressions that lead the fruit to be completely deformed. A late-season hail event will result in bruising. |
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Cause & Disease Development |
Hail damage occurs in the field as the result of a hail storm. |
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More Information |
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Approved by |
Dr. Chris Johnston, Manager, Applications Engineering, TOMRA Food |
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Last Updated |
24 July 2024 |
Ensure consistency across seasons, batches, varieties and operators with Spectrim with LUCAi.
Stem Split
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Defect Name |
Stem split |
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Other Names |
Partidura en el pedicelo ; cracking 裂果柄 |
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Subcategory |
Fresh; old |
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Type |
Defect |
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Symptoms and Signs |
Small splits in the stem bowel |
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Cause & Disease Development |
Fruit cracking, including stem splits, occurs between the second part of the growing season and can continue on to the harvest season. Stem splits are a response to certain conditions, usually issues with water supply. However, it is also less frequently caused by apple scab lesions, late and hard pruning, poor fruit set and poor tree vigor. |
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More Information |
Stem splits are common in key varieties like Gala and Fuji.
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Approved by |
Dr. Chris Johnston, Manager, Applications Engineering, TOMRA Food |
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Last Updated |
24 July 2024 |
Detect and eliminate over 95% of apple stem-related imperfections with TOMRA Spectrim with LUCAi.
Bonus: Watch to learn how Freshco uses LUCAi to detect stem splits and punctures in apples.
Stem Tear
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Defect Name |
Stem tear |
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Other Names |
Stem pull |
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Subcategory |
Fresh; old |
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Type |
Defect |
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Symptoms and Signs |
Similar to stem split an opening (tear) in the stem bowel. |
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Cause & Disease Development |
Stem tear is caused by mechanical damage in the stem area often due to picking.
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More Information |
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Approved by |
Dr. Chris Johnston, Manager, Applications Engineering, TOMRA Food |
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Last Updated |
24 July 2024 |
Detect and eliminate over 95% of apple stem-related imperfections with TOMRA Spectrim with LUCAi.
Calyx Split
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Defect Name |
Calyx Split |
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Other Names |
Partidura en el caliz 裂果萼 |
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Subcategory |
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Type |
Defect |
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Symptoms and Signs |
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Cause & Disease Development |
Some fruit varieties are more prone to the calyx split. Field management, including irrigation, canaffectdevelopment. |
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Approved by |
Dr.Chris Johnston, Manager, Applications Engineering, TOMRA Food |
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Last Updated |
24 July 2024 |
Prevent accidental downgrades and eliminate manual grading delays for apple defects with TOMRA Spectrim with LUCAi.
Sunburn
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Defect Name |
Sunburn |
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Other Names |
Quemado de sol 晒伤 |
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Subcategory |
Sunburn necrosis; sunburn browning; photo-oxidative sunburn; delayed or storage sunburn |
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Type |
Blemish |
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Symptoms and Signs |
Sunburn appears as brown lesions that occur on the skin of the apple. |
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Cause & Disease Development |
Sunburn and its subcategories are caused by intense heat change, often from the sun. Sunburn occurs when fruit is picked or in bins in the field during high temperatures |
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More Information |
Most of the juvenile fruitlets that develop lesions early in the season will slough off the tree before harvest. However, fruit can look free from blemishes when put into storage only to show signs of delayed or storage sunburn when removed from storage later in the year. |
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Approved by |
Dr. Chris Johnston, Manager, Applications Engineering, TOMRA Food |
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Last Updated |
24 July 2024 |
Ensure consistency across seasons, batches, varieties and operators with Spectrim with LUCAi.
Russet Stem
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Defect Name |
Russet – stem bowl and body |
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Other Names |
Russet stem 果梗绣 |
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Subcategory |
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Type |
Blemish |
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Symptoms and Signs |
Russeting presents as brown tissue on the skin of the apple. The tissue can appear in a pattern that mimics netting.
When russeting becomes very severe, it can cause cracks in the skim of the apple. |
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Cause & Disease Development |
Russeting is most often caused by friction applied to the fruit in the field.
A stem bowl russet occurs when the stem rubs against the fruit as a result of wind. A body russet might be the product of the friction caused by the apple rubbing against branches or other fruit.
However, other climate conditions can contribute. Periods of high humidity or colder temperatures during the early development of the fruit can cause russeting. Additionally, russeting is more likely in fruit treated with caustic pesticides formulated as emulsifiable concentrates. |
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More Information |
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Approved by |
Dr. Chris Johnston, Manager, Applications Engineering, TOMRA Food |
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Last Updated |
24 July 2024 |
Detect and eliminate over 95% of apple stem-related imperfections with TOMRA Spectrim with LUCAi.
Rot
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Defect Name |
Rot |
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Other Names |
Decay Podrido/ Machucon 腐烂 |
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Subcategory |
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Type |
Defect |
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Symptoms and Signs |
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Cause & Disease Development |
Rot is typically caused by a fungi infection that occurs via skin damage. |
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More Information |
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Approved by |
Dr. Chris Johnston, Manager, Applications Engineering, TOMRA Food |
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Last Updated |
24 July 2024 |
Ensure consistency across seasons, batches, varieties and operators with Spectrim with LUCAi.
Internal Browning
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Defect Name |
Internal Browning |
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Other Names |
China:果肉褐变 |
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Subcategory |
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Type |
Defect(Internal) |
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Symptoms and Signs |
Internal browning occurs in the fruit’s flesh, usually near the apple core. It is not detectable on the fruit skin with the exception of very severe cases. |
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Cause & Disease Development |
Internal browning is very likely to be caused by CO2 damage that occurs in storage. n some cases, the apples were stored in space that was too cold. However, internal browning can also occur in the field among overmature or large fruit.
Some varieties (Fuji, Braeburn, Cox’s Orange Pippin, and Jonathan) are more vulnerable to internal browning. |
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More Information |
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Approved by |
Dr.Chris Johnston, Manager, Applications Engineering, TOMRA Food |
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Last Updated |
24 July 2024 |
Detect internal browning and ensure consistency across seasons batches, varieties, and operators with TOMRA Inspectra2.
Shrivel
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Defect Name |
Shrivel |
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Other Names |
Dehydration Dehydratacion 失水 |
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Subcategory |
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Type |
Defect |
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Symptoms and Signs |
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Cause & Disease Development |
Shrivel is cause by a loss of water through the skin of the apple during storage. |
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More Information |
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Approved by |
Dr. Chris Johnston, Manager, Applications Engineering, TOMRA Food |
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Last Updated |
24 July 2024 |
Ensure consistency across seasons, batches, varieties and operators with Spectrim with LUCAi.
Internal Browning
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Defect Name |
Internal Browning |
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Other Names |
China: 果肉褐变 |
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Subcategory |
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Type |
Defect (Internal) |
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Symptoms and Signs |
Internal browning occurs in the fruit’s flesh, usually near the apple core. It is not detectable on the fruit skin with the exception of very severe cases. |
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Cause & Disease Development |
Internal browning is likely to be caused by CO2 damage that occurs in storage. In some cases, the apples were stored in space that was too cold. However, internal browning can also occur in the field among overmature or large fruit.
Some varieties (Fuji, Braeburn, Cox’s Orange Pippin, and Jonathan) are more vulnerable to internal browning. |
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More Information |
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Approved by |
Dr. Chris Johnston, Manager, Applications Engineering, TOMRA Food |
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Last Updated |
24 July 2024 |
Detect internal browning and ensure consistency across seasons batches, varieties, and operators with TOMRA Inspectra2
Shrivel
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Defect Name |
Shrivel |
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Other Names |
Dehydration Dehydratacion 失水 |
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Subcategory |
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Type |
Defect |
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Symptoms and Signs |
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Cause & Disease Development |
Shrivel is cause by a loss of water through the skin of the apple during storage. |
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More Information |
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Approved by |
Dr. Chris Johnston, Manager, Applications Engineering, TOMRA Food |
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Last Updated |
24 July 2024 |
Bitter Pit
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Defect Name |
Bitter Pit |
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Other Names |
Cork spot |
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Subcategory |
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Type |
Defect |
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Symptoms and Signs |
Bitter pit defects first present on the skin as sparse, light grey spots. They can develop into clusters of darker grey spots. Occasionally, they appear as one or two spots rather than a cluster of small spots.
Within the apple, brown tissue will appear within the white apple flesh. |
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Cause & Disease Development |
Bitter pit is caused by an imbalance of minerals, such as an increased ratio of potassium and magnesium to calcium.
However, it can also be caused by climate, such as warm weather or moisture stress as the fruit matures. Some causes can also be the result of management: heaving pruning, early harvest, or excessive nitrogen fertilization can result in bitter pit. |
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More Information |
The ‘Honeycrisp’ and ‘Cortland’ varieties of apples are very susceptible to bitter pit. |
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Approved by |
Dr. Chris Johnston, Manager, Applications Engineering, TOMRA Food |
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Last Updated |
24 July 2024 |
Prevent accidental downgrades and eliminate manual grading delays for apple defects with TOMRA Spectrim with LUCAi.
Blotch
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Defect Name |
Blotch |
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Other Names |
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Subcategory |
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Type |
Defect |
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Symptoms and Signs |
Blotch defects often present like the Bitter Pit defect. However, a blotch is more likely to show up as a single, larger defect rather than clusters of small spots. |
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Cause & Disease Development |
The cause of blotch defects is similar to bitter pit: the defect appears as a result of an imbalance or deficiency in minerals. |
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More Information |
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Approved by |
Dr. Chris Johnston, Manager, Applications Engineering, TOMRA Food |
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Last Updated |
24 July 2024 |
Blackspot
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Defect Name |
Blackspot |
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Other Names |
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Subcategory |
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Type |
Defect |
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Symptoms and Signs |
The defect appears as a series of smaller ‘dots’ on the cheek of the apple or near the calyx. However, it can also appear as larger spots or clusters. |
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Cause & Disease Development |
Blackspot defects are caused by fungal residue on the surface of the apple. |
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More Information |
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Approved by |
Dr. Chris Johnston, Manager, Applications Engineering, TOMRA Food |
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Last Updated |
24 July 2024 |
Prevent accidental downgrades and eliminate manual grading delays for apple defects with TOMRA Spectrim with LUCAi.