Postharvest fungicide treatments in mango fruits according to the level of quiescent infection of pathogens at harvest.
Prusky D., Shalom Y., Kobiler I., Akerman M., Fuchs Y.
Author Affiliation: Department of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel.
: 605-615
Abstract : The effectiveness of different postharvest treatments to control different levels of quiescent infections of Alternaria alternata causing Alternaria rot in mango fruits during storage was compared. A combined hot water spray and fruit brushing (hot water brushing; HWB) treatment for 15-20 seconds with 225 µg prochloraz ml-1 was the most effective treatment to control Alternaria rot in fruits with a high relative quiescent infected surface (RQIS) rating of 36 at harvest. Comparable control was obtained with the commercially used treatment of 900 µg prochloraz ml-1 spray. However, Alternaria rot in mango fruits with intermediate levels of RQIS rating of 25 was controlled by HWB treatment alone or HWB with chlorine (300 µg Troclosene Na ml-1). HWB alone was effective enough to control postharvest decay in fruits with a RQIS of 5. The results have indicated that effectiveness of postharvest HWB and prochloraz applications, are dependent on the quiescent infected area of the fruit by A. alternata at harvest. A RQIS rating, before harvest, has resulted in the use of effective, mild, fungicides as a single postharvest treatment thus avoiding wide use of less friendly synthetic fungicides.