Articles
Postharvest treatments with biocontrol agents and essential oils strongly modify the fruit microbiome
Article number
1451_36
Pages
249 – 260
Language
English
Abstract
Postharvest disease management of fruits is crucial for global food security amid a growing population.
Innovative strategies utilizing natural compounds, such as essential oils and biocontrol agents, are promising alternatives to pesticides to control storage rots of fruit.
Biofumigation with slow-release diffusers of essential oils (EOs) was effective in the control of grey mould of apples and brown rot of nectarines.
Metabarcoding analysis showed a significant impact of tissue, treatment, and sampling time on the fruit microbiome composition.
Epiphytic microbiome had higher richness and evenness compared to their endophytic counterpart.
On apples, treatments with thyme EO reduced B. cinerea abundance, while favouring a significant increase in Penicillium species.
Similarly, on nectarines, basil EO was able to reduce the abundance of Monilinia spp., but it favoured a significant increase of Penicillium spp.
Application of different biocontrol agents (BCAs) to control postharvest rots of apples, nectarines and grapes significantly affected both the epiphytic and endophytic microbiome.
BCAs were recovered as epiphytes and as endophytes, demonstrating an internalization in the fruit pulp.
On nectarines, the microbiome analysis showed a good proliferation of the yeasts on the treated fruit, together with a reduction of Monilinia spp.
On apples, the addition of A. pullulans did not correlate with a decreased abundance of white haze genera, though the disorder occurrence was reduced on the fruit, which might suggest a more complex activity.
On grapes, the species of BCAs applied were among the most abundant taxa recovered, with a consequent reduction of Botrytis spp.
Fruit surfaces harbour resilient microbial communities, which make the establishment of BCAs challenging.
Integrating microbial communities to create a conducive environment for biocontrol agents shows promise in real-world conditions.
These findings provide new insights for the development of sustainable strategies for the management of postharvest diseases of fruit.
Innovative strategies utilizing natural compounds, such as essential oils and biocontrol agents, are promising alternatives to pesticides to control storage rots of fruit.
Biofumigation with slow-release diffusers of essential oils (EOs) was effective in the control of grey mould of apples and brown rot of nectarines.
Metabarcoding analysis showed a significant impact of tissue, treatment, and sampling time on the fruit microbiome composition.
Epiphytic microbiome had higher richness and evenness compared to their endophytic counterpart.
On apples, treatments with thyme EO reduced B. cinerea abundance, while favouring a significant increase in Penicillium species.
Similarly, on nectarines, basil EO was able to reduce the abundance of Monilinia spp., but it favoured a significant increase of Penicillium spp.
Application of different biocontrol agents (BCAs) to control postharvest rots of apples, nectarines and grapes significantly affected both the epiphytic and endophytic microbiome.
BCAs were recovered as epiphytes and as endophytes, demonstrating an internalization in the fruit pulp.
On nectarines, the microbiome analysis showed a good proliferation of the yeasts on the treated fruit, together with a reduction of Monilinia spp.
On apples, the addition of A. pullulans did not correlate with a decreased abundance of white haze genera, though the disorder occurrence was reduced on the fruit, which might suggest a more complex activity.
On grapes, the species of BCAs applied were among the most abundant taxa recovered, with a consequent reduction of Botrytis spp.
Fruit surfaces harbour resilient microbial communities, which make the establishment of BCAs challenging.
Integrating microbial communities to create a conducive environment for biocontrol agents shows promise in real-world conditions.
These findings provide new insights for the development of sustainable strategies for the management of postharvest diseases of fruit.
Authors
D. Spadaro, F. Buonsenso, M. Garello, G. Remolif
Keywords
biofumigation, metabarcoding, apples, nectarines, grapes, biological control, microbiota, Botrytis, Penicillium, Monilinia
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