Preand postharvest contamination of aflatoxin in maize is a major health deterrent for people in Africa where maize production has increased dramatically. This chapter highlights management options for preand postharvest toxin contamination in maize. Sound crop management practices are an effective way of avoiding, or at least diminishing, infection by Aspergillus jlavus and subsequent aflatoxi...

The effects of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) on postharvest decay and antioxidant capacity in harvested Chinese bayberry fruit were investigated. Chinese bayberries were treated with 0, 1, 10, 100, or 1000 micromol L(-1) MeJA at 20 degrees C for 6 h and then stored at 0 degrees C for 12 days. MeJA at 10 micromol L(-1) was most effective in reducing fruit decay; quality parameters including pH value, ...

Prestorage heat treatment appears to be a promising method of postharvest control of decay. Heat treatments against pathogens may be applied to fresh harvested commodities by hot water dips, by vapour heat, by hot dry air or by a very short hot water rinse and brushing. Heat treatments have a direct effect slowing germ tube elongation or of inactivating or outright killing germinating spores, t...

Many authors have noted that consumer confidence in buying fresh flowers is strongly related to their perceived value in that quality and vase life must be high and consistent over time for consumers to repeat buy. Growers, wholesalers, exporters and retailers seek practical information about recommended handling and treatments at the harvest and postharvest stages, including that relating to f...

In this study, we evaluated the activity of short antimicrobial peptides against different fungal isolates that cause postharvest decay of fresh fruits. The previously identified hexapeptides PAF19, PAF26 and LfcinB4-9 inhibited the in vitro growth of isolates from Penicillium digitatum and P. italicum, and from Alternaria and Geotrichum genera, being no active against Rhizopus, Mucor and Asper...

Auxin plays essential roles in plant development. Gretchen Hagen 3 (GH3) genes belong to a major auxin response gene family and GH3 proteins conjugate a range of acylsubstrates to alter the levels of hormones. Currently, the role of GH3 genes in postharvest physiological regulation of ripening and softening processes in papaya fruit is unclear. In this study, we identified seven CpGH3 genes in ...

ABSTRACT Penicillium expansum, P. digitatum, and P. italicum acidify the ambient environments of apple and citrus fruit during decay development. They use two mechanisms for this: the production of organic acids, mainly citric and gluconic, and NH(4)(+) utilization associated with H(+) efflux. Exposure of P. expansum and P. digitatum hyphae to pH 5.0 increased their citric acid production, comp...

‘Gala’ apples were treated after harvest with heat (38°C for 4 days), and then wound-inoculated with the pathogen Penicillium expansum and the antagonist Pseudomanas syringae, or one of two yeast antagonists, to reduce postharvest decay. After storage for 7 days at 20°C or 3 months at 1°C, the least decay was found on fruit where wounds had been allowed to cure by heat treatment (38°C) or cold ...

Our investigation of integrated biological control (IBC) started with an assay testing activity of the predacious yeast Saccharomycopsis crataegensis UFMG-DC19.2 against Penicillium digitatum LCP 4354, a very aggressive fungus that causes postharvest decay in oranges. Under unfavourable environmental conditions, the yeast showed a high potential for control (39.9% disease severity reduction) of...