title: Preharvest treatments with chitosan and other alternatives to conventional fungicides to control postharvest decay of strawberry.
abstract: The effectiveness of the control of postharvest decay of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa, 'Alba' and 'Romina' cvs.) fruit following field applications of chitosan, laminarin, extracts of Abies spp., Polygonum spp., and Saccharomyces spp., an organic acids and calcium combination, and benzothiadiazole, were compared with a fungicide strategy. These compounds were sprayed every 5 days on the strawberry canopy, from flowering to ripening, in 2012 and 2013. The treatments with alternative compounds provided ∼ 30% reduction in postharvest decay of strawberry compared to the water-treated controls, mainly against gray mold and Rhizopus rot, and without negatively affecting fruit color and firmness. Chitosan and benzothiadiazole were the most effective alternative treatments. Preharvest spraying with these alternative treatments can complement the use of conventional fungicides in the control of postharvest decay of strawberry fruit, especially when disease pressure is low.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Via Brecce Bianche, 10, 60131 Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Feliziani
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Via Brecce Bianche, 10, 60131 Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Landi
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Via Brecce Bianche, 10, 60131 Ancona, Italy. Electronic address: g.romanazzi@univpm.it.
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Romanazzi
mesh_terms: D048271:Chitosan / Q000378:metabolism*; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D063427:Food Quality; D031985:Fragaria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D005638:Fruit / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial / Q000378:metabolism*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013830:Thiadiazoles / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005659:Fungicides, Industrial; D013830:Thiadiazoles; C015700:benzo-1,2,3-thiadiazole; D048271:Chitosan
keywords: Benzothiadiazole (PubChem CID: 86412); Botrytis cinerea; Fragaria×ananassa; Gray mold; Integrated pest management; Laminarin (PubChem CID: 439306); N-Acetyl-d-glucosamine hydrochloride (PubChem CID: 57366849); d-Glucosamine hydrochloride (PubChem CID: 91431)