Pear stony pit
Disease
Pear stony pit
Unknown, virus suspected
Distribution: Widespread; it is the most important viral disease of pear.
Photos
Heavily infected fruit are severely deformed, gritty and difficult to slice through.
Dave Rosenberger, Cornell Univ.
A
Dark-green spots appear on developing fruit about two to three weeks after petal fall. The tissue around the affected areas continues to grow, forming deep pits. Older pits develop necrotic centers. Heavily infected fruit are often severely deformed, gritty, and difficult to slice through (A). Doing so, however, reveals pitting throughout.