THE USE OF THYMUS CAPITATUS ESSENTIAL OIL UNDER VACUUM CONDITIONS TO CONTROL PENICILLIUM DIGITATUM DEVELOPMENT ON CITRUS FRUIT

Lemon and satsuma fruit were sprayed with a 10⁵ spore solution of Penicillium digitatum Sacc. and placed in 10-liter jars at constant temperature (20°C). Vacuum (10^-1 bar) was created and the essential oil of Thymus capitatus was applied by aerosol at 5 different concentrations (50, 100, 200, and 300 μl/10lt) in order to delay P. digitatum development.

Viability of P. digitatum spores was checked 24 hours after treatment by plating 100 ml of fruit rinse water on Petri dishes.
Penicillium growth was observed in 80% of the dishes containing untreated fruit rinse water.
A significantly lower percentage of growth (10% with 300 ml/10lt) was observed in dishes containing rinse water from treated fruit.

International Symposium on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

G. Arras, A. Piga, G. D’hallewin

Thymus capitatus, disease, vacuum

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1993.344.18