Biological control of postharvest diseases of fruits (original) (raw)
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Biological Control of Postharvest Diseases of Fruit
Abstract Losses from postharvest fruit diseases range from 1 to 20 percent in the United States, depending on the commodity. The application of fungicides to fruits after harvest to reduce decay has been increasingly curtailed by the development of pathogen resistance to many key fungicides, the lack of replacement fungicides, negative public perception regarding the safety of pesticides and consequent restrictions on fungicide use. Biological control of postharvest diseases (BCPD) has emerged as an effective alternative. Because wound-invading necrotrophic pathogens are vulnerable to biocontrol, antagonists can be applied directly to the targeted area (fruit wounds), and a single application using existing delivery systems (drenches, line sprayers, on-line dips) can significantly reduce fruit decays. The pioneering biocontrol products BioSave and Aspire were registered by EPA in 1995 for control of postharvest rots of pome and citrus fruit, respectively, and are commercially available. The limitations of these biocontrol products can be addressed by enhancing biocontrol through manipulation of the environment, using mixtures of beneficial organisms, physiological and genetic enhancement of the biocontrol mechanisms, manipulation of formulations, and integration of biocontrol with other alternative methods that alone do not provide adequate protection but in combination with biocontrol provide additive or synergistic effects.
Biological Control of Postharvest Diseases of Fruits and Vegetables: An Emerging Technology*
Annual Review of Phytopathology, 1989
s Abstract Losses from postharvest fruit diseases range from 1 to 20 percent in the United States, depending on the commodity. The application of fungicides to fruits after harvest to reduce decay has been increasingly curtailed by the development of pathogen resistance to many key fungicides, the lack of replacement fungicides, negative public perception regarding the safety of pesticides and consequent restrictions on fungicide use. Biological control of postharvest diseases (BCPD) has emerged as an effective alternative. Because wound-invading necrotrophic pathogens are vulnerable to biocontrol, antagonists can be applied directly to the targeted area (fruit wounds), and a single application using existing delivery systems (drenches, line sprayers, on-line dips) can significantly reduce fruit decays. The pioneering biocontrol products BioSave and Aspire were registered by EPA in 1995 for control of postharvest rots of pome and citrus fruit, respectively, and are commercially available. The limitations of these biocontrol products can be addressed by enhancing biocontrol through manipulation of the environment, using mixtures of beneficial organisms, physiological and genetic enhancement of the biocontrol mechanisms, manipulation of formulations, and integration of biocontrol with other alternative methods that alone do not provide adequate protection but in combination with biocontrol provide additive or synergistic effects.
State of the art and future prospects of the biological control of postharvest fruit diseases
International Journal of Food Microbiology, 2004
Synthetic fungicides are the primary means to control postharvest diseases of fruits. Biological control has emerged as one of the most promising alternatives to chemicals. During the last 20 years, several biological control agents have been widely investigated for use on different pathogens and fruit crops. Many biological control mechanisms have been suggested for use on fruit including antibiosis, parasitism, induced resistance in the host tissue and competition. With the aim of extending the use of the biofungicides, there have been many studies on the application of various combinations of control agents, and on the application integrated with chemical and physical means of protection. The formulation and application methods are key issues for the efficacy and successful outcome of the commercial product. Genetic engineering may provide a useful tool in the enhancement of the biological control efficacy. Since biofungicides are usually not as effective as pesticides, this approach should be viewed as an important component of an integrated disease management scheme given that a significant and permanent reduction of pesticide use is our goal. D
Biological control of postharvest diseases on fruit: a suitable alternative?
Current Opinion in Food Science, 2016
The use of microorganisms to control pest and diseases at field conditions is now a reality. Several products are already in the market and their use is increasing every year. However, the situation in the control of postharvest diseases of fruits and vegetables is very different. The research in this area started later and despite the progress made especially in the last 20 years their commercial application is still very limited. In the present overview we discuss about this situation, expose the state of the art, the main concerns and difficulties to increase their commercial use in postharvest. We postulate than is necessary to show consistent efficacy under commercial conditions but this fact is not enough, because some BCAs with reliable performance are not in the market for a complex combination of legal and economic aspects. In the future, it will be necessary to improve the bridge between researchers and private companies.
Postharvest Biological Control of Citrus Fruit
Economical losses due to postharvest decays are very important worldwide, and fungicides are the primary means to control these losses. Public concern in food safety and the increase of pathogen resistant population has enhanced the interest in developing alternatives fungicides to control postharvest fruit diseases. The research in biological control using antagonistic microorganisms has been developed as an important food safety alternative. Biocontrol of postharvest products has the advantage to be in a controlled environment which can be manipulated to favor the biocontrol agent. Actually there are already in the market three biofungides to control postharvest diseases of fruits, including citrus fruit. It is likely that several more products will enter the market in the near future, as the result of the biological control research programs worldwide. The development of a biocontrol system requires several steps in order to isolate, test and select a potential biocontrol agent. Bioassays at a pilot and commercial scale must be addressed; the antagonistic mechanism of the microorganism has to be understood. For commercial application, biocontrol agent has to be produced and formulated at an industrial scale, maintaining its biocontrol activity. This paper presents an overview of postharvest biological control approaches especially of citrus fruit and explores new possibilities of research to improve biocontrol activity.
Biological Control of Postharvest Diseases of Citrus Fruits
CRC Press eBooks, 2002
World trends are moving towards reduced pesticide use in fresh fruit and vegetables. Along with this trend, several physical and biological means have been evaluated as safer alternatives for the use of chemical fungicides. The use of microbial antagonists for the control of postharvest diseases received special attention, and has been extensively investigated. Most of the reported yeast and bacteria antagonists were naturally occurring on fruit surfaces. Microbial biocontrol agents of postharvest diseases have been criticized mainly for not providing as consistent or broad-spectrum control as synthetic fungicides. The "first generation" of biological controls for postharvest spoilage relied on the use of single antagonists. Perhaps it is unrealistic for us to expect disease control comparable to synthetic fungicides by the use of single antagonists. It can be expected that enhancing efficacy of biocontrol agents of postharvest diseases to an acceptable level will utilize a combination of different biological and physical means. As we learn more about the fundamental basis underlying the protective effect of microbial antagonists, bioactive compounds, and induced resistance, more effective methods of formulating, applying and combining complementary biological approaches for additive and/or synergistic effects will emerge. So far the results obtained with the different combinations of biological chemical and physical means demonstrate the potential of this multifaceted approach as a viable alternative to synthetic fungicides
Trends in Food Science & Technology, 2017
Background: The application of physical (thermal and non-thermal) treatments in combination with biocontrol agents for the control of postharvest fungi has achieved significant research attention. In order to make combined nonchemical agents commercially suitable for postharvest treatment of other commodities, there is the need to study their individual effects and then integrated effects to present them as economically viable, resilient and persistent. Scope and approach: In this article, various physical treatment methods (thermal and non-thermal) have been used to enhance the bioefficacy of microbial agents against postharvest diseases of fruits and the possible mode of action were reviewed. Additionally, the interrelationship between fungal virulence, host response and environmental factors that influence infection rate and production of mycotoxin has also been highlighted.
This article provides a state-of-the-art review of fungicides that are commonly used before harvest in conventional agriculture to prolong the storage of fresh commodities, and of the alternatives to fungicides recently made available for plant protection. Findings: Considering the high percentage of postharvest loss of fruit due to pathogen spoilage and the frequent development of pathogen isolates that are resistant to one or more active ingredients, alternatives to synthetic fungicides are needed. This review compares the current practices in conventional agriculture that are used to control postharvest rot of fruit with the alternatives to synthetic fungicides that are now available. The review summarizes the different fungicides and the corresponding alternatives, such as natural compounds, decontaminating agents that are 'generally recognized as safe', and biological control agents that have been applied in smallscale and large-scale tests. For some cultivated crops, including strawberries, table grapes, and stone and pome fruits, we include the time and method of application of preharvest treatments that can be applied to preserve fruit quality during storage. Limitations/implications: Even considering the research efforts in the search for alternatives to fungicides, at present there are few natural compounds that are as effective as fungicides. However, according to integrated pest management, to overcome the drawbacks that can arise with the use of a single strategy, an integration of methods might provide additive or synergistic effects for disease control. Directions for future research: Further insight at the molecular level into the interactions between host plants and chemicals applied will help us to better understand the changes that occur in host plants following treatments, or the effects of the treatments on the pathogens. This new knowledge will optimize the treatment application to provide the greatest effects with the minimum number/ time/ concentration of treatments applied.
Development of a biological control method against postharvest diseases of citrus fruit
Communications in agricultural and applied biological sciences
Candida oleophila strain O was previously selected for its high and reliable antagonistic activity against Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium expansum, two important wound pathogens on post-harvest apples. The application of these antagonistic strains on wound pathogens of Citrus was more recently undertaken. The efficacy of yeast (applied at several concentrations from 10 5 to 10 8 CFU/ml) was assessed against P. digitatum and P. italicum inoculated after one hours (at a concentration of 10 5 , 10 6 and 10 7 spores/ml) on 'Clementine' and 'Valencia late' varieties. The protective levels were positively correlated with high concentration of antagonist and low concentration of pathogen. The antagonistic activity of this strain was also dependent on the incubation time before pathogen inoculation. The protective level increased with time between application of the antagonist and inoculation of fungal spores. Finally, the efficacy of biomass of C. oleophila strain O (produced at an industrial scale), and two different formulations of that biomass was assessed in comparison with fungicidal treatment (Thiabendazole) under semi-practical conditions against P. digitatum. This efficacy of strain O (whatever its formulation) was statistically comparable to that for TBZ at commercial dose, indicating that both formulations could be used as an alternative for conventional fungicide in postharvest treatments.