Enhanced biocontrol of fruit rot on muskmelon by combination treatment with marine Debaryomyces hansenii and Stenotrophomonas rhizophila and their potential modes of action

Abstract

Separately and in combination a marine yeast Debaryomyces hansenii and a marine bacterium Stenotrophomonas rhizophila were evaluated for their biocontrol potential against Fusarium proliferatum on muskmelon fruit. The results show that the mixture of yeast and bacterium in vitro reduced the growth of F. proliferatum, possibly due to either by direct parasitism, nutrient competition, lytic enzymes, biosurfactants and/or volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Disease incidence and lesion diameter caused by F. proliferatum on muskmelon was reduced significantly, especially when fruit was inoculated with the mixture of D. hansenii + S. rhizophila. These results indicated that D. hansenii, S. rhizophila and their combination treatments were effective for the postharvest biocontrol of fruit rot on muskmelon.