Résumé
Fungal infections caused by Monilinia species are responsible for severe losses in the postharvest stage of stone fruit. Storage and market environmental conditions (namely temperature and humidity) could play a key role in brown rot spread. It is recognized that fruit sensitivity to the disease could be influenced by both cultural practices and environmental conditions before harvest. In this context, we try to include these phenomena in a compartmental model, where we consider the classes of susceptible, exposed and infected fruit in order to predict the spread of brown rot during the postharvest stage. We calibrated the model against experimental data of Prunus persica var. nucipersica (nectarine) grown in Avignon (southern France). Different fruit loads, irrigation conditions and fungicide treatments were applied in the orchard, to induce different fruit sensitivity to brown rot at the beginning of the storage. Then, fruit were subjected to the same standard storage conditions (4°C for 2 days and then 20°C) and were visually assessed to quantify disease spread. Fruit from the well-irrigated treatments were generally more prone to disease spread. The model fits well experimental data, stressing the need to pay more attention to fruit growth conditions, to allow the prediction of brown rot diffusion patterns in postharvest stage. Moreover, the model could be used to evaluate possible management strategies to reduce the impact of the disease.