09-08-2013, 04:03 PM
Management of post-harvest fungal rots of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) fruit through fungicides
ABSTRACT
Cherry (Prunus avium L.) fruit is usually infected by many fungal pathogens while being on the tree. These fungal pathogens grow and infect the injured fruit when they find congenial moisture and favourable temperature in the fruit boxes during transit leading to fruit spoilage. Keeping in mind the short transit journey of sweet cherry fruit from orchard to consumption, lower levels of fungicide concentrations, than those in vogue for use in field as pre-harvest treatments against various fungal pathogens were used under in vitro studies to have minimum persistence at the time of consumption within 4-7 days after harvest. All the fungicides tested viz., carbendazim 50% WP, thiophanate methyl, tebuconazole, captan 50% WP tested against the post-harvest fungal rot pathogens were effective at all concentrations (50, 100, 150 ppm) as compared to untreated control. However, carbendazim was most effective at 150 ppm and recorded the maximum inhibition in different rot pathogens viz. Aspergillus niger (36.84%), B. cinerea (32.62%), Mucor sp. (29.85%), Penicillium expansum (27.33%), Alternaria alternata (26.12%) and least in Rhizopus stolonifer (17.41%). Carbendazim was also effective at 100 and 50 ppm exhibiting significant inhibition of mycelial growth in all the rot pathogens viz., A. niger (34.21, 32.20%), B. cinerea (28.10, 27.25%), Mucor sp. (27.13, 25.20%), A. alternata (25.63, 24.63 %), P. expansum (24.87, 24.54%) and least in R. stolonifer (15.37, 13.70%). In terms of inhibition of fungal growth, carbendazim was followed by tebuconazole, thiophanate methyl and captan, wherein maximum inhibition was observed at 150 ppm followed by 100 and 50 ppm.