SOFT TISSUE BREAKDOWN IN TABLE GRAPES

Witbooi and Fourie (2002) published the first paper on Soft Tissue Breakdown (STB) for table grapes grown in South Africa. In this communication it was reported that this decay disorder, first identified by Dr Johan Fourie in 1999, was different to Botrytis decay. This is because STB is characterised by severe maceration of the flesh tissue of grape berries, and not slip skin, where the overlying skin easily parts from the flesh, which is indicative of Botrytis decay.