How Molds Affect Citrus Crops

Blue and green mold are two of the most important post-harvest diseases that can affect a citrus crop. The infection that occurs the most frequently is green mold and it is caused by the mold Penicillium digitatum. It exists in all citrus fruit growing regions and is a serious threat to the citrus industry.

When the fruit is bruised or punctured while it is being harvested or packed, the mold enters the fruit through these wounds and therefore, this disease can be contracted by fruit on the tree, in the packinghouse where the fruit is prepared for the market, while in transit to the store, in storage, and the retail store. At first, only a white mold is seen growing on the outside of the fruit and later begins to turn green due to the large amount of spores that are being produced on the surface of the fruit. The fruit begins to decay and become soft. It shrivels up and dies as a result.

Blue mold is caused by the fungus Penicillium italicum and it is different from green mold mainly because of the color. The conditions that the two molds grow in are very similar and tend to grow best at around 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Their growth is slowed by lowering the temperature and cooling fruits while they are being stored and shipped are a good way to decrease the amount of infections in a shipment. Losses from these molds can also be greatly reduced by taking special care during harvesting and transporting not to bruise or break the skin of the fruits. Fruits mainly become infected when their outer skin is broken and mold spores make their way inside either from contaminated soil, another infected fruit, or through the air. Fungicides can also be used to reduce the amount of infections. Also, any equipment used to pack the fruit and anywhere they are stored should be sanitized every day to reduce the chance of the fruit becoming infected.

The spores of both of these molds are very easily spread by air currents and any fruits that are contaminated with them should not be exposed to wind or other currents of air near any healthy fruit due to the likelihood of it becoming infected. Fruits can also become infected due to other physical injuries such as those associated with stem-end rind breakdown and chilling injuries.


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Taking Care of a Fireplace

Lots of people have fireplaces in their homes, but keeping them clean and smoke free takes some maintenance and effort on the part of the homeowner. The fireplace will not maintain itself, even though there are some fireplace cleaning logs on the market these days. These will not completely replace a professional cleaning, though, so you should have one of these done at least every year or two.

You should also have the proper tools stored next to your fireplace and these are available in many different materials and types. Cast iron is a good and durable material, but fireplace tools are also available in brass, pewter, nickel, and etcetera. There is a large selection on the market and you will surely be able to find what you are looking for.

A fireplace blower can help build up the fire and add more heat to it. You have probably seen one of these before and it can be a real help when first starting to build a fire.

Fireplace tongs can be used to move around logs that are obviously too hot to pick up with your hands and this is necessary, since the logs will not always be exactly where you need them to be to get the most heat and longevity out of the fire.

A fireplace poker can be used to stir around coals and spread them so that the heat is more evenly distributed. This helps larger logs catch on fire faster than they normally would.

A shovel is used to clean out the ashes that are left after a fire is out and a small broom is necessary to keep the area immediately outside the fireplace cleaned up.

If you are having problems building a fire that does not spill smoke back into the room, you need to make sure that nothing is blocking the chimney on top of the house. Leaves, bird nests, and sticks can clog it up during the spring, summer, and fall and make it completely unusable.

Using the correct wood is also important; logs that are freshly cut and have a lot of moisture still in them will smoke instead of catch fire. Use logs that are dried out and try to store them in a place where they will not get wet.

Start the fire slowly by building it up with paper and small sticks at first to get the chimney warm. Warming up the chimney is important so that the air inside it becomes warm instead of cold. Cold air pushes the warm air and smoke down and back into the house.



Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
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South Carolina mold remediation companies across the united states.