A synergistic effect in controlling plum postharvest diseases occurs by applying UV-C light to sodium bicarbonate treated fruit.

ABSTRACT

The effectiveness of ultraviolet-C light (UV-C; 254 nm) alone at 0, 3, 6 and 12 kJm(-2), or combined with 0.0 or 0.5% (w7v) sodium bicarbonate (SBC), to control plum (Prunus domestica cv Stanley) postharvest decay caused by Penicillium expansum L. and Botrytis cinerea was investigated. First, fruit was sanitized and in one experiment plums were artificially wound-inoculated 24 h before treatments and afterwards kept at 25 degrees C with 90% RH for 7 days. In the second experiment, treatments were applied before fruit was spray-contaminated with conidia and then stored for 4 weeks at 5 degrees C and 90% RH (storage conditions). In both experiments, the highest degree of decay caused by the two pathogens was monitored when fruit stayed untreated (control), and a negligible reduction was achieved by treating with the sole salt or with a 3 kJm(-2) UV-C light. Compared to control (89 +/- 3% decay), the treatment of wound-inoculated fruit with 6 kJm(-2) provided a 35 and 38% reduction of P. expansum and B. cinerea decay, respectively. Meanwhile, 12 kJm(-2) provided an additional decrease of 25 and 27%, respectively. In both experiments, the best control of decay was attained when treatments with SBC and UV-C light were combined and the efficacy depended upon the sequence of application. Synergistic effects were found by applying the salt before UV-C light. When 6 or 12 kJm(-2) were employed following the 2% SBC treatment, no disease symptoms developed for either pathogens in both experiments. The same combination with 3 kJm(-2) resulted in a nearly 5 fold increase of efficacy compared to the sole light treatment. The combined treatments controlled the two pathogens to valuable levels and, since no quality losses were observed during storage, they could be considered as a suitable approach to contain postharvest losses of this fruit.