Application of chemical compounds during pre-harvesting to control post-harvesting green mold in citrus

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of system-acquired resistance inducing compounds applied during pre-harvest ‘Navelina’ orange and ‘Ortanique’ tangor in controlling post-harvest disease caused by Penicillium digitatum. The products were acibenzolar-s-methyl (ASM), imidacloprid (IMI), methyl jasmonate (MeJa), sodium selenite, potassium silicate, thiamethoxam (TMT). Sterile distilled water was used as control. applications administered 45, 30, 15 days before harvesting. In 2015 2016, 840 fruits randomly collected, when they reached commercial maturation, sanitized, half pierced with a needle equatorial region. inoculated 10 μL spore suspension (1 × 106 conidia mL-1) P. digitatum, experiment performed three replicates, each comprising repeated over two consecutive crop seasons. Disease incidence evaluated on (at 72 144 h after inoculation [hai]) unperforated 360 hai) fruits. For fruits, lesion expansion rate (rL), severity, sporulating area (rE), evaluated. under progress curve (AUDPC) calculated. Both cultivars susceptible; however, rL rE had lower values for ‘Ortanique’. tested reduced both cultivars. Potassium silicate rE, whereas selenite rE. severity ASM. AUDPC treatments. Among products, highest reductions (ranging from 14% 37%, respectively) (60% 70%, respectively), (50% compounds), total (55% 56%, reducing green mold postharvested