Fruit Export Research Articles

Factors Influencing Maritime Transport of Fruit Exports to Thailand

Wei, Y., 2020. Factors influencing maritime transport of fruit exports to Thailand. In: Gong, D.; Zhang, M., and Liu, R. (eds.), Advances in Coastal Research: Engineering, Industry, Economy, and Sustainable Development. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 106, pp. 97–100. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.With the full launch of the China-Thailand free trade area, China's fruit export to Thailand has ushered in unprecedented opportunities. If China wants to make a significant breakthrough in Thailand's fruit product trade, it needs to improve the competitiveness of fruit products. The scale of fruit planting in China is second only to that of food and vegetables. However, China's fruit industry lacks competitive advantage in the Thai market, which will lead to a fruit production surplus. With the long-term downturn of export prices for China's fruit export, China's fruit export volume has been at a low level, occupying a small proportion of exports. With the improvement of Thailand's opening to the outside world, China's fruit export trade to Thailand has also developed rapidly. From the perspective of fruit export volume, Thailand is an important market for fruit export in Southeast Asia. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the impact of Thailand on China's trade in the export of fruits by sea.

Efficient Shoot Organogenesis Using Leaf Disc and Nodal Explants of Passion Fruit (Passiflora edulisSims) and Genetic Fidelity Assessment Using Sequence-Related Amplified Polymorphism (SRAP) Markers

Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis(Sims)) is currently ranked third among fruit exports from Kenya and has great potential since the demand for both fresh fruit and processed juice is on a continuous increase. Passion fruit production in Kenya is constrained by a lack of healthy, clean planting material, poor seed viability, and low germination rates. To address this, the present study reports anin vitroplant regeneration protocol for passion fruit using leaf disc and nodal explants and genetic fidelity analysis of the regenerated plants. The highest number of shoot regeneration was obtained on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 2 mg·L−16-Benzyl amino purine (BAP) (shoot induction medium). The multiplication of shoots was optimum in MS medium supplemented with 3 mg·L−1BAP. To eliminate the requirement of an additional step ofin vitrorooting, exogenous application of putrescine induced the formation and development of roots on nodal explants. Genetic fidelity analysis of thein vitroregenerated and macropropagated plants with that of the mother plant was carried out by sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers, and monomorphic banding profile for 80% of the regenerants confirmed the genetic uniformity of thein vitroregenerated and macropropagated plants. Thein vitroregeneration system developed can be utilized for mass clonal propagation for the economic commercial exploitation of this important tropical fruit.

Persistence and dissipation study of azoxystrobin, buprofezin, dinocap and hexaconazole on mango (Mangifera indica L.).

Azoxystrobin, buprofezin, dinocap and hexaconazole are widely used in crop protection of mango from flowering to harvest. Residue assessment of these chemicals on mango fruits was done following treatments at the recommended and double doses as per good agricultural practices (GAP). Mango fruit and soil sample preparation was done by QuEChERS, and analysis was done using LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography mass spectrometry). Using these techniques, the limit of detection (LOD) determined was 1.5μgkg-1 and limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.005mgkg-1 for all analytes. The residue levels on mango initially were 0.265 and 0.55mgkg-1 for azoxystrobin, 0.63 and 0.974mgkg-1 for buprofezin, 0.635 and 0.98mgkg-1 for dinocap and 0.203 and 0.35mgkg-1 for hexaconazole from standard and double dose treatments, respectively. The dissipation rate of the pesticides on mango fruits was about the same except for azoxystrobin, which dissipated slowly compared with others. The half-life of degradation (DT50) of azoxystrobin was 10.4-12.1days; buprofezin, 5.8-8.5days; dinocap, 5.4-6.2days; and hexaconazole, 4.4-6.1days. The pre-harvest interval (PHI) based on European Union (EU) MRL (maximum residue limit) requirements were 1day for azoxystrobin, 15 and 26days for buprofezin, 27 and 34days for dinocap, and 19 and 30days for hexaconazole. The results of this study can be used to produce mango fruits safe for consumption and to meet the regulatory requirements for export of mango fruits from India.

Attractiveness of Different Coloured Sticky Traps to the South African Citrus Thrips (Scirtothrips aurantii Faure) in Avocado, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

The South African citrus thrips, Scirtothrips aurantii, is a recently confirmed economic pest in South African avocado. Scarring damage by thrips results in corky tissue development, making the fruit unsuitable for export and potentially costing the country in lost export revenue. Thrips management is complicated by the multiple and protracted flowering patterns of susceptible cultivars. In addition, widespread pesticide resistance of thrips and the negative environmental effects along with minimum residue levels for export fruit limit the application of pesticides for thrips control. Monitoring an insect pest's presence and abundance is the first step in thrips management. This study aimed to investigate S. aurantii's colour preferences, establish the distribution of thrips in the orchard and population dynamics from flowering to fruit establishment. Attractiveness followed the order yellow > blue, white, clear > red, black, purple and orange. Thrips were evenly distributed throughout the orchard, with the highest populations occurring during flowering (August), declining sharply and picking up in the summer months starting December. Yellow sticky cards are recommended as a monitoring tool.

Pathogenicity of commercial entomopathogenic fungal strains on the avocado seed borer (ASB), Heilipus lauri (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) under laboratory conditions

The avocado seed borer, (ASB) Heilipus lauri Boheman 1845 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is an official quarantine pest limiting avocado production and fruit exports from Colombia to pest-free countries. To provide alternatives to manage ASB, the objective of this study was to determine the potential use of commercial strains of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae as biological control agents of this pest. Pathogenicity of the strains was evaluated by complete immersion of the insect in a spore solution (direct inoculation) or by insect contact with inoculated fruit (indirect inoculation). The B. bassiana strain caused higher mortality (DF = 3, F = 25.7, P = 0.0002), showing an almost eight-fold increase, 55% and 79% mortality, for both concentrations used, 2.5 × 108 spores/mL or 2.5 × 109 spores/mL, respectively. Additionally, the B. bassiana strain showed shorter median survivorship using direct inoculation (15.8 to 8.7 days), a longer delay in the feeding initiation time (50 h), and a decrease in the fruit intake (Anti-feeding index above 50) after indirect inoculation. To our knowledge, this is the first report about the pathogenicity of a commercial B. bassiana strain against ASB in Colombia.

Effectiveness of Modified Traps for Protection Against Fruit Flies on Mango

Mango is one of the primary fruit export commodities in Indonesia. The productivity of mango can be increased by controlling the pest population, including fruit flies Bactrocera spp. Various efforts to control the population of fruit flies have been carried out, either by implementing traditional methods or by using synthetic pesticides. However, synthetic pesticides can cause pollution, and therefore we need to control the fruit flies’ population by using the most effective fruit fly trap mode. The study was conducted in the mango yield (monoculture) of Department of Agriculture in Majalengka. The traps in this study were modified Steiner traps with funnels, modified Steiner traps without funnels, bottle traps with funnels, bottle traps without funnels, and modified gypsy moth traps. Each trap was fed with 0.2 ml of Methyl eugenol dripped on a cotton roll and hung in the trap. The results showed that the number of fruit flies caught in each trap every week is significantly different. The highest number of fruit flies caught in each trap every week was achieved by bottle traps without funnels that caught 135 flies, while the lowest number of fruit flies caught was recorded by the gypsy moth traps with 16 flies. The transparent color of the bottles and a large number of holes effectively lured the fruit flies into the bottle traps without funnels.

The influence of brand equity on consumer responses toward Cho Gao dragon fruits brand

This thesis study wants to implement a model test for better understandings of brand equity and consumer responses toward Cho Gao Dragon Fruit brand. With the rapid growth of agriculture, including domestic consumption and export of the dragon fruits, it is crucial to differentiate the Cho Gao Dragon Fruits to other competitors in both domestic and foreign markets. Using Structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the data of 274 questionnaires to investigate the effects of brand equity and its dimensions on consumer responses. The results show that brand equity dimensions such as brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality are interrelated and those dimensions have a direct and significant effect on brand equity, except brand awareness. The results support the assumption that brand equity has a positive relationship with consumer responses. The findings shed light on the current issues of the market for dragon fruits, which enables us to provide some suggestions for the Government to facilitate farmers and traders in building brand names, marketers for doing marketing activities, and students to know about brand equity of agricultural product such as dragon fruits.

Fire Blight Monitoring in Pear Orchards by Unmanned Airborne Vehicles (UAV) Systems Carrying Spectral Sensors

Controlling fire blight in pear production areas depends strongly on regular visual inspections of pome fruit orchards, nurseries and other hosts of Erwinia amylovora. In addition, these inspections play an essential role in delineating fire blight free production areas, which has important implications for fruit export. However, visual monitoring is labor intensive and time consuming. As a potential alternative, the performance of spectral sensors on unmanned airborne vehicles (UAV) or drones was evaluated, since this allows the monitoring of larger areas compared to the current field inspections. Unlike more traditional remote sensing platforms such as manned aircrafts and satellites, UAVs offer a higher flexibility and an extremely high level of detail. In this project, a UAV platform carrying a hyperspectral COSI-cam camera was used to map a heavily infected pear orchard. The hyperspectral data were used to assess which wavebands contain information on fire blight infections. In this study, wavelengths 611 nm and 784 nm were found appropriate to detect symptoms associated with fire blight. Vegetation indices that allow to discriminate between healthy and infected trees were identified, too. This manuscript highlights the potential use of the UAV methodology in fire blight detection and remaining difficulties that still need to be overcome for the technique to become fully operational in practice.

Analysis of the dynamics of international trade operations in the market of vegetables and fruits in Russia

Relevance. The structure of the food market is represented by various types of products, of which the largest share is taken by the fruit and vegetable sector. In the conditions of a tense political situation in the world and the establishment of barriers in foreign trade, agriculture is a strategically important branch of the Russian economy. Today, the fruit and vegetable sector of the Russian economy does not fully satisfy the needs of the population for vegetables and fruits. This is evidenced by the fact that the domestic market does not provide the population with high-quality vegetables and fruits, creates favorable conditions for filling it with foreign goods, which constitute about 35% of the consumer basket of Russians. All this leads to the need for additional analysis to identify trends in the development of the Russian market for fruits and vegetables and to identify priority areas for its development.Methods. The purpose of the article is to conduct an analysis of the main trends in the development of the Russian fruit and vegetable market, in order to determine the priority areas of its operation. The basis of the study was the statistical data of the customs authorities of the Russian Federation on the import and export of fruits and vegetables, as well as the federal service of state statistics on the volumes of production and consumption of fruits and vegetables in Russia.Results. As a result of the analysis of the state of the fruit and vegetable market in Russia in 2011-2018, carried out in the article. It can be stated that the population is experiencing a shortage of consumption of fruits and vegetables. Over the past eight years, imports exceeded exports in the structure of commodity circulation of fruits and vegetables, which indicates the dependence of the national market on foreign goods. The state of the fruit and vegetable market is influenced by the following factors: the level of development of the logistics infrastructure, material and technical equipment of enterprises, as well as the presence of sanctions and counter sanctions.

Identifying Diagnostic Genetic Markers for a Cryptic Invasive Agricultural Pest: A Test Case Using the Apple Maggot Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)

AbstractInsect pests destroy ~15% of all U.S. crops, resulting in losses of $15 billion annually. Thus, developing cheap, quick, and reliable methods for detecting harmful species is critical to curtail insect damage and lessen economic impact. The apple maggot fly, Rhagoletis pomonella, is a major invasive pest threatening the multibillion-dollar apple industry in the Pacific Northwest United States. The fly is also sympatric with a benign but morphologically similar and genetically closely related species, R. zephyria, which attacks noncommercial snowberry. Unambiguous species identification is essential due to a zero-infestation policy of apple maggot for fruit export. Mistaking R. zephyria for R. pomonella triggers unnecessary and costly quarantines, diverting valuable control resources. Here we develop and apply a relatively simple and cost-effective diagnostic approach using Illumina sequencing of double-digest restriction site-associated DNA markers. We identified five informative single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and designed a diagnostic test based on agarose gel electrophoresis of restriction enzyme-digested polymerase chain reaction amplification products (RFLPs) to distinguish fly species. We demonstrated the utility of this approach for immediate, 1-d species identification by scoring apple- and snowberry-infesting flies from known hosts, reared from fruit collected at 11 sites throughout Washington. However, if immediate diagnosis is not required, or hundreds to thousands of specimens must be assessed, then a direct Illumina-based sequencing strategy, similar to that used here for diagnostic SNP identification, can be powerful and cost-effective. The genomic strategy we present is effective for R. pomonella and also transferable to many cryptic pests.

A Study on Adoption Level of Mango Growers on the Recommended Technologies in Krishnagiri District of Tamil Nadu

Indian mango is a special product that substantiates the high standardsof quality and bountiful of nutrients packed in it. Mango, affectionatelycalled King of Fruits is the National fruit of India. Mango accounts for 40per cent of the total fruit exports from the country. There is good scope forincreasing the area and productivity of mango in the country. The presentinvestigation was carried out in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu with theprimary objective of assessing the adoption level of the mango growers onthe recommended technologies. Two blocks viz., Mathur and Uthangaraiwere purposively selected for the study, which have the maximum areaunder mango cultivation. Proportionate random sampling method was usedto select 146 sample respondents from eight identified villages. Significantfindings of the study revealed that cent per cent of respondents had adoptedthe recommended cultivation practices such as field preparation, seasonof planting, method of planting, conventional system of planting, manures,and fertilizers. Bangalora and Senthura were the prominent varietiesadopted by them. Little more than ninety per cent of the respondentshad adopted the practice of intercropping and few recommended plantprotection technologies. Cent per cent of the respondents had not adoptedthe recommended post-harvest technologies.

A ‘Private-sector Success Story’? Uncovering the Role of Politics and the State in Kenya’s Horticultural Export Sector

Kenya’s horticulture sector is often heralded as one of sub-Saharan Africa’s principal success stories. The country has become the region’s largest exporter of fresh fruits, vegetables and cut flowers to Europe and the sector is a major source of foreign exchange, employment and poverty reduction. Generally, the existing literature presents this as ‘a private-sector success story’, whereby a supposed limited role for the state allowed the private-sector to develop independently and innovatively react to shifting global market dynamics and sourcing strategies of European lead firms. This reflects the fact that research on Kenya’s horticultural sector has been dominated by scholars from a Global Value Chains/Global Production Networks (GVC/GPN) tradition, who tend to neglect the explanatory power of domestic political economy. This paper challenges these market-focused readings, arguing that the Kenyan state – and particularly the broader political context in which it is located – has played a more important role in Kenya’s horticultural success story than has generally been acknowledged. Using an historically-grounded form of political settlement analysis, this paper shows how domestic political economy and state-business dynamics have fused with the more transnational factors identified by GVC/GPN scholars to drive rapid and constant growth in Kenya’s horticultural exports since the 1970s.

Range expansion of the invasive cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley: An increasing threat to agricultural and horticultural crops in China

The globally invasive cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley, has recently invaded several Chinese regions, and continues to expand its range. This mealybug is a polyphagous insect pest, with at least 200 host plants from 63 families, including cotton, food crops, fruits, ornamental plants, tobacco, and vegetables. Here, we describe the first finding of P. solenopsis in Shandong Province, and investigate the abundances of its natural enemies (predator Coccinella septempunctata L. and parasitoid Aenasius bambawalei Hayat). All three species were detected from ornamental and weed species in Linyi, Shandong, in September 2018, and were positively identified using DNA barcoding. BLAST analysis revealed significant identity (99.38–100%) between sequences of P. solenopsis obtained in this study and those published in the past. This invasive pest represents a major potential threat to agri-horticulture in Shandong, which is a key province of China for production and export of many vegetables, flowers, fruits, and other crops. This mealybug species has a wide range of potential distribution in Shandong and is easily dispersed with agricultural and horticultural transport products. Further monitoring and management strategies are required to limit the spread of this pest species.

Maintenance Quality and Reduce Chilling Injury of Naomi Mango Fruits During Cold Quarantine.

Quarantine treatment enables export of mango fruits to parts of the world that enforce quarantine against fruit fly. Chilling injuries (CI) are prevalent in the mango fruits stored at temperatures lower than 12°C during cold-quarantine. So, this research examined the potentially enable of cold-shock treatment and integrated of edible coating with packing in (EPE) foam net to enhance the resistance of Naomi mango fruits during cold export. The effect of cold quarantine was studied on fruit quality of 'Naomi' mango for 2016 and 2017 seasons. In this respect, mango fruits were coated with sodium alginate at 3%, semperfreshTM at 1% and packed in (EPE) foam net to reduce CI during cold quarantine. The treated fruits were stored for 4 h at 0°C, then transferred to 20°C for 20 h (cold-shock treatment) prior to store at 2±1°C and 90-95% RH for 15 days (quarantine treatment). While, the control fruit were directly stored at 2±1°C and 90-95% RH for 15 days. Thereafter, all fruits were stored at 20±2°C for and 70-75% RH for 7 days as shelf life period to simulate a marketing period. All applied treatments significantly reduced fruits weight loss (%), respiration rate, retard the loss of soluble solid (%) titratable acidity (%), have a good potential in maintaining firmness (lb inch-2), skin color h°, vitamin C, total phenol, flavonoids content, membrane stability index (MSI %), high rate of antioxidant capacity and retard the loss of shelf-life of fruits than the control. It was concluded that edible coatings used semperfreshTM at 1% with (EPE) foam net packing have a good potential in controlling postharvest chilling injury and maintaining the fruit quality being the most effective treatment on all parameters tested. It could potentially enable the export mango fruits to all quarantine-enforcing countries.

ОЦЕНКА КАЧЕСТВА И БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ ЭКЗОТИЧЕСКИХ ПЛОДОВ И ФРУКТОВ, ПОСТУПАЮЩИХ ДЛЯ РЕАЛИЗАЦИИ НА ПРОДОВОЛЬСТВЕННЫЙ РЫНОК г. Н. НОВГОРОДА

Currently, a wide range of fruits brought from various countries of the world are presented in markets and retail chains. Most often on the shelves we can see bananas, oranges, peaches, apricots, pineapples. Also, so-called "exotic fruits" have become available to buyers. All fruits that do not grow in the climatic zone of our country are conventionally considered exotic. But now many of them are supplied to us regularly as the season progresses, and some of them are delivered all year round. Russia's trade relations with foreign countries are built according to certain principles and legal norms, which are regulated by the rules of the World Trade Organization and the requirements of international trade agreements. In the Russian Federation, there are many problems related to the import of exotic fruits. First of all, they are associated with the lack of regulatory documents and standards for these products, and the rules for veterinary and sanitary examination for exotic products of plant origin have not been developed either. GOSTs in the Russian Federation are only for certain types of fruits, which means that there is no full guarantee of the quality and safety of other exotic fruits. Export of exotic fruits to Russia is also difficult due to long delivery times. Most of these products are perishable, therefore, they are allowed for transportation only unripe. This article is devoted to the veterinary and sanitary examination of exotic fruits and vegetables in the food market in N. Novgorod to identify their quality and possible biological and toxic hazard for consumers. Organoleptic qualities were determined, luminescent analysis, analysis for nitrates, research for ripeness and sugar content were carried out.

Covid-19 Salgını Sürecinde Türk Ihracatına Ilişkin Bir Analiz

This paper analyzes the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the exports of Turkey. A data set compiled from Turkish Exporters Assembly’s export database is used for our study. The research is based on the applications of selected trade indices such as the sectoral Hirschmann index, sectoral trade concentration ratio, sectoral trade intensity and technological classifications on Turkish sectoral exports during the outbreak. Our results indicate that Turkish sectoral Hirschmann index which amounted to 0.66 between March and May 2019 decreased to 0.62 in the same time frame in 2020 demonstrating that the sectoral exports have broadened the export base, and Turkey currently has a more balanced sectoral export dispersion. Because of the outbreak, the automotive and textiles exports, which can be considered as the engines of Turkish economy, plummeted by 53% and 45% respectively, while the exports of fresh fruits and vegetables increased by 14%. Investigations of trade concentrations and technological intensities of the exports reveal that the shares of high tech and medium-high tech products in the whole export basket decreased and Turkey’s dependence particularly on exports of automotive and textiles plummeted during Covid-19 crisis. Sectoral trade intensity findings infer that some international markets like Ukraine have become more important for selected Turkish exports. As Turkish economy reopened as of June 1, 2020, increasing world demand compounded by the recent depreciation of the Turkish lira against foreign currencies can create a new opportunity for Turkey to rebalance her economy in the future and pivot to a high-tech, surplus-generating export base by benefiting more from the re-organization of global and regional value chains while mitigating economic impacts of the crisis.

Model design for factors affecting the packaging of Iranian fruit and vegetables for export

Model design for factors affecting the packaging of Iranian fruit and vegetables for export

Pupal parasitoids associated with Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) in a semiarid environment in Brazil

Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) are important pests that affect the fruit-growing worldwide. In the northeastern Brazil, where a semiarid climate predominates and the production of tropical fruits for export is concentrated, some fruit flies, including Anastrepha spp. and Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), are considered pests due to economic damage and quarantine restrictions. In several parts of the world, fruit fly population regulation is carried out with the support of hymenopteran parasitoids. In Brazil, some information exists about larval parasitoids of fruit flies, but little is known about pupal parasitoids of these tephritids, especially in Brazilian semiarid environments. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to know the pupal parasitoids associated with C. capitata in a semiarid environment in Brazil. The parasitoid survey was carried out in a semiarid region in the states of Rio do Norte and Ceará. To obtain the parasitoids, pupae (sentinels) of C. capitata from the laboratory, Applied Entomology Laboratory of Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, were exposed to natural parasitism in the field. Six parasitoid (Hymenoptera) species were obtained: Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae (Rondani), Spalangia simplex Perkins, Spalangia gemina Boucek, Spalangia leiopleura Gibson, and Spalangia impunctata Howard (Pteromalidae); Trichopria anastrephae Lima (Diapriidae). These are the first records of pupal parasitoids associated with the fruit fly C. capitata in Brazil.

Determinants of the Agricultural Exports in Azerbaijan

Oil booming and accumulated mineral revenue contributed to the economic growth in Azerbaijan since independence but also pressurized the national currency leading to the appreciation of the nominal effective exchange rate (NEER) and real effective exchange rate (REER). An increase in export prices makes them expensive, decreasing the competitiveness of the country. Azerbaijan’s recent decreased economic performance during 2014–2015 reflected a common reality among the resource exporting countries: relying on the primary sectors might jeopardize the national economy due to the extreme price volatility. The paper investigates the extension of the relationship between NEER, REER, and other export-related macroeconomic variables and agricultural exports to identify Azerbaijan’s non-oil sub-sectoral dynamics between 2001–2018 via the OLS estimations. The main findings indicate that NEER negatively impacted potato, fresh fruit, and fresh vegetable exports. Moreover, potato and fresh fruit exports demonstrated more stable export dynamics during the economic crisis periods.

Potential Use of Essentials Oils to Control Fruitlet Core Rot (FCR) in Pineapple (Queen Victoria Variety) in Reunion Island

Fruitlet Core Rot (FCR) is one of the major postharvest diseases of pineapple (Ananas comosus var. comosus), especially on the prone variety Queen Victoria cultivated in Reunion Island. This aggressive disease is generally due to two pathogens: Fusarium ananatum and Thalaromyces stolii, and needs to be controlled during postharvest. In Reunion Island, F. ananatum is the principal causal agent impacting fruit exportation. Fruit produced for the export market is generally treated with chemicals. This type of postharvest treatment is not in line with consumer expectations, as consumers prefer fruits treated with nonharmful and natural products. The objective of this work was to study alternative postharvest treatments using the fungitoxic properties of essential oils and their ability to elicit the resistance mechanisms of the fruit. Six EAs were tested in vitro on mycelial growth of F. ananatum. Whether by volatilization or included in the culture medium, some essential oils such as thymol, eugenol, geraniol and the carvone/menthol mixture have a strong fungistatic effect. But only thymol has a fungitoxic effect. The thymol, a natural molecule synthesized by thyme (Thymus vulgaris L. thymoliferum) is the more effective in vitro and is the strongest potential to be used in postharvest treatment. Thymol, prepared at 0.025% in a terpene solvent that acts as a penetrating agent, was tested in vivo with inoculated fruits. The treatment was effective only on necrosis development from the upper part of the fruits. Pineapple polyphenol biosynthesis appears to have been suppressed by thymol treatment. Results and opportunities for this treatment are discussed. Additional experiments must be carried out in order to decide on the advisability of this type of treatment.