Epidemiology, Host Specificity and Integrated Control of Postharvest Green Mold Disease Caused by Penicillium digitatum on Citrus Fruits

Abstract

In study aerodynamic spore mechanism and epidemology of Penicillium digitatum on citrus fruits stadied : Orange varities ( Blood , Sweet, Sour and Navel ) , mandarine , lemon and grapefruits the results showed the spores of Penicillium digitatum have low weight to became longtime before fall down , indicating that Penicillium digitatum have dry spores . The sedimentation of these spores on fruit surfaces was more vertically faster than horizontally, conferming the way of storage fruits above long distance from ground surface does not prevent the infection incidence . From studying of lignification effect on peels of studied citrus varities after injuires and kept for 12 hours then injection showed the lignin formation do not prevent the infection but just lated about 6 days . From study specific different isolates showed all species have specific to infect the host fruit without the other . Through study the maturity of lemon fruits on enhance or lated infection with Penicillium digitatum show the mature lemon fruits infected earlier through 4 days compared with immature lemon fruits infected after 6 days. Finally the results optained from programs to this disease on injected and non-injected fruits by selective two physical methods ( Hot water – Sea water ) , two natural oils (Eucalyptus oil – Olive oil) , one mineral oil ( Johnson's baby oil ) and wax , showed all of these method can not prevent the infection but just delated the infection period , wax test delay five days and the other two treatments were delay about three days only .