Induced Resistance in Fruits and Vegetables by Elicitors to Control Postharvest Diseases

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More than one-third of harvested fruits and vegetables are lost annually due to diseases caused by fungal pathogens in the field or after harvest, especially if produce sanitation and refrigeration are poor. Besides economic losses, some postharvest pathogens produce mycotoxins in fruits and vegetables that pose a potential threat to human and animal health. Application of synthetic fungicides is the primary strategy employed to control these diseases. However, rising concerns about fungicide residues, development of pathogen resistance to fungicides, and environmental pollution have encouraged the development of eco-friendly strategies to control postharvest diseases. Interest in induced resistance as a sustainable strategy to manage postharvest decay in fruits and vegetables has increased. Natural resistance to pathogen infection in horticultural products can be activated by various means. Physical inducers, such as UV-C irradiation and heat treatment, prime plant resistance through abiotic stress. Some chemical elicitors, such as salicylic acid, benzothiadiazole, 2,6-dichloronicotinic acid, and jasmonic acid, induce resistance in plants. Moreover, biological elicitors, such as harpin, chitosan, and some fungi, bacteria, and yeasts, can act as antagonistic biocontrol agents where they secrete elicitors that prime defense reactions in fruits and vegetables. The use of physical, chemical, and biological inducers or elicitors to manage and control postharvest diseases is reviewed in this chapter, which briefly presents current knowledge about elicitors and mechanisms of induced resistance in fresh fruits and vegetables.