Controlling Citrus Fruit Rot

Citrus fruit is harvested at the start of ripening to maximize shelf life and marketability. However, prolonged storage of apples exposes them to a variety of ailments, which may be physiological in origin, often linked to cold, or parasitic in origin, essentially fungal diseases.A physiological study of the effect of two culture media on the development of four fungal species (Penicillium italicum, Penicillium digitatum, Aspergillus niger and Acremonium sp.) isolated from rotting citrus fruit during storage showed that the MEA and PDA media were favorable to the development of these fungi. On PDA medium, mycelial growth is maximal at 20°C. The antifungal power of the two essential oils tested in vitro was broad-spectrum, with very strong antifungal activity on the diametral growth of pathogens responsible for citrus fruit rot.