An assessment of the air quality in apple warehouses: new records of Aspergillus europaeus, Aspergillus pulverulentus, Penicillium allii and Penicillium sumatraense as decay agents

Airborne fungi are one of the major components aeromycobiota known to produce several fungal diseases in fruits. Their presence indoor environment warehouses may limit storage period apples. Qualitative and quantitative analyses airborne spores were conducted using gravity settling techniques detect airspora present atmosphere two apple Tunisia. In this study, 375 isolates obtained purified. Phylogenetic analysis calmodulin, beta-tubulin ITS regions coupled with phenotypic characterization helped identify 15 species. Penicillium exhibited highest diversity ten species detected (Penicillium allii, P. chrysogenum, citrinum, expansum, italicum, polonicum, solitum, steckii, sumatraense viridicatum), followed by four Aspergillus genus (Aspergillus europaeus, A. flavus, niger pulverulentus) Alternaria alternata. vivo experiments confirmed pathogenicity 13 at room temperature under cold-storage conditions. Among them, pulverulentus, allii described for first time as pathogens on The study identified associated postharvest rot facilities Tunisia help efficient control fruit diseases.