November 02, 2024 | Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology |
Researchers from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India, explored strategies to mitigate post-harvest losses in tropical fruits, a critical issue in ensuring fruit availability despite significant production volumes. Post-harvest losses range from 5–20% in developed countries to 20–50% in developing regions, with fungal pathogens like anthracnose, stem-end rot, Rhizopus soft rot, and gray mold contributing significantly to these losses.
The study highlights the limitations of chemical fungicides, as their use raises serious health concerns among consumers. This has driven interest in developing non-chemical alternatives for managing post-harvest fungal diseases. Promising methods include edible coatings, essential oils, generally recognized as safe (GRAS) salts, botanicals, heat treatments, irradiation, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and biological control. Many of these approaches demonstrate comparable effectiveness to chemical methods in controlling fungal pathogens.
The findings emphasize the potential of these alternative strategies to replace synthetic fungicides, paving the way for safer and more sustainable post-harvest disease management in tropical fruits. The research underlines the importance of advancing non-chemical solutions to reduce losses, maintain fruit quality, and address consumer health concerns.
