Assessing hydrothermal treatment and antagonistic yeasts combination for mango anthracnose control

Abstract

Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is the main post-harvest disease in mango in almost all production areas in the world. Hydrothermal treatment (HT: 46.1 °C for 70 min) and antagonism of yeasts Pichia guilliermondii, Candida oleophila and Candida quercitrusa were evaluated in vitro and in vivo to determine the most appropriate post-harvest management of anthracnose in "Ataulfo" mango. The pathogen C. gloeosporioides and the yeasts were evaluated at concentrations of 105 conidia ml-1 and 108 cells ml-1, respectively. The growth areas of the pathogen subjected to HT and in interaction with the yeasts were evaluated with ImageJ software. Subsequently, the most effective strains and the HT were evaluated in "Ataulfo" mango inoculated with C. gloeosporioides and the severity of the anthracnose was determined. In the in vitro assays, P. guilliermondii strain CDBB-932 was the most effective (18.6%) in controlling pathogen growth, presenting an inhibition halo that the rest of the yeasts did not show. In the in vivo assays, the combination of HT and C. quercitrusa (strain 42) was the most effective (96.8%) in the control of anthracnose. The hydrothermal treatment in combination with yeasts could be implemented preventative control of the postharvest diseases.