Tebuconazole effect over Penicillium sp. control during postharvest of citrus fruit in commercial conditions

Tebuconazole is a triazole fungicide with protective and curative action that disrupts the membrane function by inhibiting sterol biosynthesis. Tebuconazole residues are allowed in the EU, USA, and other countries such as Brasil, Japan, South Corea and Turkey. FRUITGARD-TEBU is the trade mark of Fomesa Fruitech for an Emulsified Concentrate (EC) formulation of Tebuconazole with 25% w/v of active ingredient. Fruitgard-Tebu is an agrochemical particularly designed against citrus fruit decay caused by fungi during postharvest period: Penicillium, Geotrichum and Stem end rot. The product can be used on-line (sprayed directly over the fruit) or mixed with the coating wax. Laboratory assaysFruits were inoculated with ‘Penicillium digitatum’ or ‘Penicillium italicum’ at different concentrations. 0.4% FRUITGARD-TEBU (1000 ppm of Teobuconazole) was tested on-line or with the coating wax. Results suggest that the use of 1000 ppm of Tebuconazole in the on-line application has a high efficacy level in controlling P. digitatum and P. italicum, similar to the one obtained with 500 ppm of Imazali under the same conditions. Moreover, the use of Tebuconazole (1000 ppm) mixed with the commercial wax has an efficacy against P. digitatum and P. italicum similar to that obtained with 2000 ppm of Imazalil mixed with the same commercial wax. Therefore, Tebuconazole is an effective alternative to the traditional postharvest treatments for citrus fruits. Picture 1:Ernesto Conesa Roca, Technical Manager of Fomesa Fruitech, during his speech "Tebuconazole for Penicillium control during storage of citrus fruit in commercial conditions" in the VIII International Postharvest Symposium (Cartagena, Spain).