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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