Management Postharvest Diseases of Peach Fruits and Their Management

Abstract

Postharvest diseases cause spoilage of stone fruits, which causes huge economic losses. Stone fruits are vulnerable to a large number of pathogens due to their perishable nature. Postharvest diseases of stone fruits are caused by many fungal and bacterial pathogens. Understanding about the pathogen and host-pathogen interaction leads to development of better disease management strategies. Management of postharvest diseases of stone fruits is achieved through sanitation, proper handling of fruits, maintaining ambient storage conditions, low risk fungicides, biological control agents, plant origin pesticides and resistance inducers. Skilful application of available disease management strategies helps to reduce the losses due to various postharvest diseases of stone fruits. The integration of disease management strategies, which aim to inhibit the growth of pathogens, to enhance host resistance and improve environmental conditions, would result in development of favourable conditions to the host and unfavourable conditions to the pathogen and would eventually provide sustainable disease management of postharvest diseases of stone fruits.