Postharvest biocontrol of anthracnose in bananas by endophytic and soil rhizosphere bacteria associated with sisal (Agave sisalana) in Brazil

Publication date: Available online 28 June 2019Source: Biological ControlAuthor(s): Caroline Lopes Damasceno, Elizabeth Amélia Alves Duarte, Lorena Brito Pimentel Rodrigues dos Santos, Thiago Alves Santos de Oliveira, Fabio Nascimento de Jesus, Lenaldo Muniz de Oliveira, Aristóteles Góes-Neto, Ana Cristina Fermino SoaresAbstractBanana is one of the most consumed fruits worldwide and a climacteric tropical commodity that requires harvesting methods, storage and transportation, which burden its marketing. It is one of the food crops most susceptible to diseases, such as anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum musae, considered the main postharvest disease of bananas. This pathogen is a quiescent fungus that infects the fruits during preharvest which symptoms appear at postharvest with advanced stage of maturity. Although efficient, the control using fungicides requires more than one pulverization. Therefore, this is unfeasible if one considers the time elapsed between harvesting and transportation of fruits, when symptoms are already visible. Furthermore, this control method has commercial and environmental restrictions which prevent this product of being certified as organic, which adds value to commodities. As an alternative to chemical control, biological control agents (BCAs) have been studied and used. In light of this information, we have selected 12 bacteria from in vitro tests, which are trivial for selecting biocontrol agents. In vivo testing, the following taxa were e...
Source: Biological Control - Category: Biology Source Type: research