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Academic Research Journal of
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Academic Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Research Vol. 5(4), pp. 320-328. July, 2017. ISSN: 2360-7874 DOI: 10.14662/ARJASR2017.049 Full Length Research Importance of pH modification for Disease Development in Apple fruits and Bio-control of Apple Decay
Fekadu Gebretensay Mengistu1,2
[1] Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center (KARC), P.O.Box 489, Asella, Ethiopia. 2 University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Life Science, Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Bulowsvej 17, DK-1870 Frederiskberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark.)
Corresponding author’s E-mail: fgebretensay@yahoo.com
Accepted 29 June 2017
Apple fruits are usually stored after harvest. During cold storage losses of economic importance are produced by several post-harvest fungal pathogens. Pathogens modify the pH of their host tissue to ease for infection and disease development. The present study was intended to show the importance of pH modification for decay development on fruits of two commercial apple cultivars (Fuji and Elstar) caused by four fungal pathogens (Penicillium exapsum2020, Penicillium exapsum21525, Botrytis cinerea and Colletotrichum acutatum). Besides, it was intended to highlight the use of bio-control products as one of the management options against blue mold. The study pointed out that P. exapsum2020, P. exapsum21525 and B. cinerea acidified the host tissues by lowering the pH, where as C. acutatum experienced alkalinisation by raising the pH during decaying on both apple cultivars. Among the pathogens, B. cinerea was more virulent on both cultivars followed by P. exapsum2020, P. exapsum21525 and C. acutatum respectively. The enzyme activity of the pathogens in the infected apple tissues was examined using AZCL-Azurine-Crosslinked Polysaccharide plates using different substrates and variation was obtained. P. expansum2020 inoculated samples showed better enzyme reaction in all of the substrates except in Beta-Glucan. The strongest enzyme reaction was obtained in substrate Xyloglucan followed by Xylan on both apple cultivars while C. acutatum showed better enzyme reaction in the substrate Casein. In the experiment involving bio-control on the blue mold fungus, Bio-Save gave the highest effect by significantly decreasing the size of the fungal lesions on both apple cultivars.
Key words: Apple decay, Bio-Save, Cell-wall degrading enzymes, Post-harvest, Thyme oil, pH
How to cite this article: Mengistu FG (2017). Importance of pH modification for Disease Development in Apple fruits and Bio-control of Apple Decay. Acad. Res. J. Agri. Sci. Res. 5(4): 320-328
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