Articles
INTEGRATION OF BIOCONTROL STRATEGIES INTO ORGANIC PRODUCTION OF HORTICULTURAL CROPS
Article number
905_15
Pages
149 – 154
Language
English
Abstract
Most of the research and development of acceptable organic technologies has been pre-harvest-oriented.
There has been little effort to provide new post-harvest technologies for organic products, resulting in insufficient post-harvest methods being available for organic fruits and vegetables.
The greatest need is to develop strategies to control post-harvest decay.
For some products, there is an additional need to replace chemicals being used to control postharvest disorders or insect infestation; some of which may no longer be available, e.g. diphenylamine in the EU after May, 2010. Organically-acceptable postharvest decay control will depend on the introduction of effective biopesticides and anti-fungal biocontrol agents.
The terms biopesticide and biocontrol agent will be defined and compared.
The issues of efficacy and acceptability for organic production will be reviewed, i.e. approval of a biopesticide or biocontrol agent does not guarantee efficacy or acceptability in organic production.
Increasing efficacy by combining biopesticides or biocontrol agents with other organically-accepted, non-chemical technologies will need to be encouraged.
Recent advances in Controlled atmosphere (CA) technology, e.g.
Dynamic CA (DCA), will be discussed since CA technology is a known technology that, depending on the commodity, can maintain quality as well as reduce decay and/or eliminate the use of insect and disorder-controlling chemicals.
Other non-chemical post-harvest technologies which may be successful will also be discussed, e.g.
UV-C treatment, heat treatment, anti-microbial surfaces.
More research is needed on each of these technologies, both singly and in combination with each other.
There has been little effort to provide new post-harvest technologies for organic products, resulting in insufficient post-harvest methods being available for organic fruits and vegetables.
The greatest need is to develop strategies to control post-harvest decay.
For some products, there is an additional need to replace chemicals being used to control postharvest disorders or insect infestation; some of which may no longer be available, e.g. diphenylamine in the EU after May, 2010. Organically-acceptable postharvest decay control will depend on the introduction of effective biopesticides and anti-fungal biocontrol agents.
The terms biopesticide and biocontrol agent will be defined and compared.
The issues of efficacy and acceptability for organic production will be reviewed, i.e. approval of a biopesticide or biocontrol agent does not guarantee efficacy or acceptability in organic production.
Increasing efficacy by combining biopesticides or biocontrol agents with other organically-accepted, non-chemical technologies will need to be encouraged.
Recent advances in Controlled atmosphere (CA) technology, e.g.
Dynamic CA (DCA), will be discussed since CA technology is a known technology that, depending on the commodity, can maintain quality as well as reduce decay and/or eliminate the use of insect and disorder-controlling chemicals.
Other non-chemical post-harvest technologies which may be successful will also be discussed, e.g.
UV-C treatment, heat treatment, anti-microbial surfaces.
More research is needed on each of these technologies, both singly and in combination with each other.
Publication
Authors
R.K. Prange
Keywords
biopesticide, dynamic controlled atmosphere, heat treatment, UV-C treatment, decay control, fungi, bacteria, anti-microbial surfaces, liquid glass
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