Application of resistance inducers can be a good alternative for integration with the use of chemical fungicides to control storage decay of strawberry

Strawberry fruit are particularly perishable, and after the harvest they can suffer from desiccation, quality deterioration and mold. The main postharvest decay is gray mold, followed by Rhizopus rot, blue mold and Mucor rot, which are caused by Botrytis cinerea, Rhizopus stolonifer, Penicillium spp. and Mucor spp., respectively. The effectiveness of resistance inducers in the control of postharvest decay of strawberry was investigated in both postharvest and field trials. Commercial compounds based on the biopolymer chitosan, benzothiadiazole, oligosaccharides, soybean lecithin, calcium plus organic acids, and fir and nettle extracts were tested in postharvest trials to assess their control of the decay of fruit in storage, at both room temperature and after cold storage. For the same purpose, in the field trials, the plants were sprayed five times with chitosan, laminarin, fir extract, and benzothiadiazole, and compared with a fungicide strategy based on cyprodinil plus fludioxonil and pyrimethanil. In the postharvest applications, the greatest disease reductions were obtained with the chitosan formulation, followed by benzothiadiazole, and calcium plus organic acids. In the preharvest trials, all of the treatments reduced postharvest decay of the strawberry fruit after one week coldstorage and exposure to a shelf life of 3 days. In particular, the effectiveness in reducing the disease of 1% chitosan was not significantly different from that of the fungicide-based strategy. Thus, with a view to the protection of production without any negative effects on the fruit, our investigations show that application of resistance inducers can be a good alternative for integration with the use of chemical fungicides, or in organic agriculture, where the use of chemical fungicides is not permitted. ? Original title, full list of authors, and sources POSTHARVEST AND FIELD APPLICATION OF RESISTANCE INDUCERS TO CONTROL STORAGE DECAY OF STRAWBERRIES Romanazzi, G1, Feliziani, E1, Landi, L1 g.romanazzi@univpm.it 1Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy IHC 2014, International Horticulture Congress, 17-22 August 2014, Brisbane, http://www.ihc2014.org/ The picture is by echandomasqueraices.blogspot.com ? Key words Poscosecha??????? postcosecha????? postharvest?????? na-oes? ??????????????? ?????????????????????? post-r?colte?????? ??????????????????????????????????????? na-oogst???????????? post-raccolta??? Obr?bka po?????? p?s-colheita????? ???????????????????????? hasat sonras??????????????????????????????? Ernte???? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? postcollita????????? poskliz?ov頠????? ?????? ????????????????????????????????? nakon branja??? pozberov頠??????????????????????? obdelovanje zemlje popost-colleita????? ??????????????? pascapanen??????????????? ?il?onn postharvest??????? ????????????? p?c ra?as??????????? derliaus apdirbimas polepas tuai??????????? ????????????????????????? post-recoltare?? ???????????? ???????????????????????? ?????????????????????? ?????????????????????????? sau thu ho?ch??????????????? ?????????????????????????????? zangemva kwenkathi yokuvuna Fresa???? frutilla? strawberry strawberries????????????? aarbei?? ????????? ?????????????????????? fraise??? ?????????????????? ????????????????????????? aardbei??????????????? fragolatruskawka????????? morango??????????? ?????????????????? ?ilek?????? ?????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?