Control of Penicillium digitatum in citrus fruit by bergamot essential oil vapours
S. D’Aquino, L. A. Iuliano, A. Palma and M. Schirra.
Journal of Plant Pathology Volume 90 (2, Supplement) August 2008, Book of Abstract, 9th International Congress of Plant Pathology, August 24-29, 2008 Torino,Italy,. 507 pages.
2008
บทคัดย่อ
Control of Penicillium digitatum in citrus fruit by bergamot essential oil vapours
The effect of bergamot essential oil on postharvest decay incited byPenicillium digitatumSacc.wasevaluated on ‘Marsh’ grapefruit and ‘Tardivo di Ciaculli’ mandarin. Wound-inoculated fruits were left to incubate at 20 °C and 90-95% RH for 24 h before treatments. Treatments were carried out at 20 °C in air-tight 200-litreplexiglascabinets equipped with two fans. For ‘Marsh’ grapefruits 2 ml of bergamot oil were placed on a strip of Watman paper in a dish and allowed to volatilize (method A) or vaporized by an aerosol device (method B). With ‘Tardivo di Ciaculli’ mandarins, 2.5 or 5 ml essential oil were supplied by method B. A|fter 24 h of vapour exposure fruit were stored at 20 °C and 90-95% RH and checked for decay after 7 (grapefruit) and 5 or 8 days (mandarin). At the end of storage the incidence of decay in untreated fruit of ‘Marsh’ grapefruit averaged 16.8%, against 15.6% and 9.8% of those treated by method A and B, respectively.In ‘Tardivo di Ciaculli’ mandarins after 5 days, decay in untreated fruit was 50%; bergamot oil at 2.5% reduced decay by 48% at 2 ml and by 70% at 5 ml. After 8 days, untreated fruit decay increased to 84.4%, whereas bergamot oil reduced the losses to 59.4 and 44.4%, at 2.5 and 5 ml, respectively. Bergamot oil thus showed good activity againstP. digitatum, but due to its low volatility it needs to be actively vaporized in the environment.