POSTHARVEST BIOLOGICAL-CONTROL OF GREY MOLD (BOTRYTIS-CINEREA PERS-FR) ON FRESH-MARKET TOMATOES WITH BACILLUS-AMYLOLIQUEFACIENS

Antagonistic bacteria were evaluated for their effectiveness in postha rvest control of grey mould on fresh-market tomatoes. Grey mould was r educed in fresh-market tomatoes treated with antagonists and artificia lly inoculated with Botrytis cinerea, and stored at 20 degrees C for a t least 7 days. One strain, 5PVB (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) was part icularly effective. This strain apparently did not produce extracellul ar antibiotic substances, yet was highly active against the pathogen o n both mature-green and red tomatoes. Treatment with SPVB before stora ge at 10 degrees C showed only fungistatic activity against grey mould . Chilling-injured mature-green tomatoes were more susceptible to B. c inerea. On chilled fruits the bacterial antagonist completely controll ed the pathogen if the treatment was applied immediately after storage at 2 degrees C. In fermentation tests on four industrial waste materi als, B. amyloliquefaciens grew well and maintained its antagonistic ac tivity when grown in two of them. In pilot experiments with wounded fr uits dipped in the bacterial cell and pathogen suspension, the develop ment of decay was effectively inhibited. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier S cience Ltd