Abstract
Penicillium digitatum causes green mold decay on citrus fruit, resulting in severe economic losses to citrus growers and packers worldwide. The present study is to evaluate the control of citrus green mold by volatiles produced by Enterobacter cloacae. An E. cloacae strain isolated from plant rhizospheres was able to produce three volatile organic compounds, which were identified as butyl acetate, phenylethyl alcohol, and 4,5-dimethyl-1-hexene by GC/MS chromatography. The volatile compounds produced by E. cloacae inhibited conidial germination and hyphal elongation of P. digitatum and reduced green mold severity. E. cloacae cultured at temperatures ranging from 16°C to 28°C, at pH values ≤6, or in a substrate carrier (sphagnum moss, vermiculite, or perlite) provided superior control against P. digitatum. A laboratory formulation using E. cloacae and perlite protected citrus fruit from green mold up to 22 days and its effectiveness outperformed fungicide application at room temperature (~25°C). The results implicate practical application of E. cloacae as a biofumigant for controlling citrus postharvest decay caused by P. digitatum. Significantly, the study provides a model for future research on how to formulate an effective biocontrol agent for disease management.
Highlights
Green mold, caused by Penicillium digitatum (Pers.: Fr.) Sacc., is a noxious postharvest disease of citrus
Penicillium digitatum is an opportunistic pathogen that resides on healthy citrus fruit and attacks citrus fruit through injuries caused by rough handling during harvesting, transportation and storage
Fungal strains were identified as P. digitatum based on the distinct characteristics of conidia and colony morphologies formed on malt extract agar (MEA), Czapek yeast autolysate agar (CYA), and glycerol nitrate agar (GN25N) as described by Pitt [36]
Summary
Green mold, caused by Penicillium digitatum (Pers.: Fr.) Sacc., is a noxious postharvest disease of citrus. Penicillium digitatum is an opportunistic pathogen that resides on healthy citrus fruit and attacks citrus fruit through injuries caused by rough handling during harvesting, transportation and storage. Infection of P. digitatum in citrus often results in tissue maceration and fruit decay. Economic losses caused by green mold decay could be enormous for citrus growers and packers worldwide. Application of fungicides, such as imazalil and thiabendazole, is a common practice to control P. digitatum induced fruit decay in the packinghouse [1,2,3,4]. Repeated use of toxic chemical compounds could induce the emergence of fungicide resistant strains of the pathogen and could increase human health risks
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