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New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts

Environmentally-safe control of postharvest diseases of melons (Cucumis melo) by integrating heat treatment, safe chemicals, and systemic acquired resistance

A. I. Bokshi1
S. C. Morris2
R. McConchie1

1 Faculty of Agriculture Food and Natural Resources
 University of Sydney
 NSW 2006, Australia
 email: abokshi@mail.usyd.edu.au
2 Sydney Postharvest Laboratory
 P.O. Box 62, North Ryde
 NSW 2113, Australia

Abstract The modes of action and effectiveness of hot water treatment and iodine were evaluated and integrated with systemic acquired resistance as alternatives to fungicide for the control of postharvest rots of melon (Cucumis melo). Hot water at 55°C reduced storage rot caused by Fusarium sp. inoculated 24 h after dipping. Reduction of rot was partly as a result of host resistance induced from postharvest heat shock, as indicated by the increased activity of peroxidase. However, the germicidal effects of hot water, iodine at room temperature, or hot iodine indicates that most of the reduction of rots occurred when these treatments were applied as postharvest dips. Dipping melons in hot iodine at 55°C was as effective as the commercial fungicide guazatine at 500 ppm. Treatment of melons with hot iodine at 30 ppm increased storage life and maintained fruit firmness to a similar level as that resulting from fungicide treatment. Treating field plants with benzothiadiazole 2 weeks before harvest reduced storage rots of rockmelons as a result of the induction of systemic acquired resistance. Integration of iodine in hot water as a postharvest dip treatment with field treatment to induce systemic acquired resistance gave good control of postharvest rots. Indeed, the total reduction of rots from benzothiadiazole treatment in the field and then a postharvest dip with hot iodine was much greater than the level of control achieved from dipped non-induced fruit treated with a commercial fungicide.

Keywords RAS; iodine; postharvest; Fusarium; melons

New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 2007, Vol. 35: 179–186
0014–0671/07/3502–0179      © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2007
H05130; Online publication date 11 May 2007. Received 31 October 2005; accepted 29 January 2007

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