Articles
Hot water treatment before high relative humidity storage controlled cucumber shriveling and rot by Fusarium verticillioides
Article number
1340_25
Pages
161 – 166
Language
English
Abstract
Shriveling and weight loss are the major postharvest problems of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in tropical ambient (TA) retailing system and Fusarium rot occurs when fruits are stored at high relative humidity (HRH). Control of cucumber fruit decay in HRH of 98-100% and TA temperature of 28±2°C was carried out using pre-storage hot water treatment.
Healthy green cucumber fruits (Greengo 918 F1) were surface coated with conidia of Fusarium verticillioides, by dropping in 8.3×106 conidia mL‑1 water suspension for 30 s, with constant agitation.
No surfactant was used.
Conidia were allowed to attach for 12 h before hot water treatments at 40, 45, and 50°C for 1-7 min at 1-min interval.
Another set of un inoculated fruits were likewise treated.
Positive control was inoculation but no heat treatment while negative control was no inoculation and no heat treatment.
Response of injured fruits to treatment was tested with 5 cm length × 0.5 cm deep laceration wounds and 1 cm diameter × 0.5 mm thick cut at point of detachment from parent plant.
All fruits were stored at 28±2°C and 98-100% RH. Best treatment was 45°C for 2 min; it completely excluded rot for 11 d and reduced disease development of uninjured fruits by 81% on day 23. No rot also occurred on all wounds tested.
Hot water at 45°C for 7 min and 50°C for 2 min were effective on uninjured fruits only.
Disease rating was highest in untreated fruits.
Hot water at 45°C for 2 and 7 min, and 50°C for 2 min controlled rot of cucumber and enabled storage in HRH to prevent shriveling and weight loss in TA retailing.
Healthy green cucumber fruits (Greengo 918 F1) were surface coated with conidia of Fusarium verticillioides, by dropping in 8.3×106 conidia mL‑1 water suspension for 30 s, with constant agitation.
No surfactant was used.
Conidia were allowed to attach for 12 h before hot water treatments at 40, 45, and 50°C for 1-7 min at 1-min interval.
Another set of un inoculated fruits were likewise treated.
Positive control was inoculation but no heat treatment while negative control was no inoculation and no heat treatment.
Response of injured fruits to treatment was tested with 5 cm length × 0.5 cm deep laceration wounds and 1 cm diameter × 0.5 mm thick cut at point of detachment from parent plant.
All fruits were stored at 28±2°C and 98-100% RH. Best treatment was 45°C for 2 min; it completely excluded rot for 11 d and reduced disease development of uninjured fruits by 81% on day 23. No rot also occurred on all wounds tested.
Hot water at 45°C for 7 min and 50°C for 2 min were effective on uninjured fruits only.
Disease rating was highest in untreated fruits.
Hot water at 45°C for 2 and 7 min, and 50°C for 2 min controlled rot of cucumber and enabled storage in HRH to prevent shriveling and weight loss in TA retailing.
Authors
O.M. Akomolafe, B.R. Olowe
Keywords
tropical temperature, weight loss, wound, decay control, heat treatment
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