TITLE:
Production and Testing of Biopesticide for Control of Postharvest Mold Infections on Fresh Fruits of Apple and Pear
AUTHORS:
Yacoub A. Batta
KEYWORDS:
Apple Fruit, Pear Fruit, Trichoderma harzianum, Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium expansum, Biopesticides, Postharvest Mold Infections
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Microbiology,
Vol.5 No.12,
November
16,
2015
ABSTRACT: The present research aimed at
producing a biopesticide with proper formulation of invert emulsion
(water-in-oil type) and effective strain ofTrichoderma harzianumthen, testing it against pathogens of postharvest mold infections(Botrytis
cinerea&Penicillium
expansum) on fresh fruits of apple and
pear. Theproper
formulation of invert emulsion (IE#3) used for biopesticide production has the
following ingredients (100% w/w): soybean oil (28.50%), coconut oil (19.50%),
oil-soluble emulsifier: Tween 20 (2.0%), glycerine (4.25%), water-soluble
emulsifier:dehymuls k (0.75%),sterile
distilled water (22.5%) and conidial suspension of the effective strain ofT. harzianum“TrichoPAL1” in water (22.5%, concentration 1 ×107conidia/ml). Testing
efficacy of the produced biopesticide has indicated a significant reduction in
the disease lesion diameter of mold infections on wounded apple and pear fruits
stored at20℃± 1℃compared to the untreated fruits or control (reduction from up to
38.75 to about 7.50 mm, respectively, according tothe
type of mold infections and fruit type).
Also, the treatment with the produced biopesticide has resulted ina
long protection period from mold infections on wounded and un-wounded fresh
fruits of apple and pear stored under controlled and semi-commercial conditions(up to 2.5 months
according to the type of mold infections and fruit type). In conclusion, the
overall results have demonstrated the effectiveness of produced biopesticide on
stored fruits under controlled and semi-commercial conditions therefore,it is recommended to test this effectiveness on marketed
fruits stored under variable conditions before applying it at a large scale.