Avoid early thinning and overthinning. Avoid early harvest. Cool fruit after harvest. Use summer calcium sprays to reduce incidence and severity of disease. Dip harvested apples in calcium chloride.
Bitter pit is a common disorder in apples grown in New Mexico.
This physiological disorder is associated with insufficient calcium in the developing fruit. Bitter pit is not an infectious disease and does not spread from fruit to fruit. The disorder first appears as small, water-soaked lesions on the surface of the fruit. The spots will gradually turn brown and look like bruises. With time, the spot will become sunken and the underlying tissue will become spongy.