CRYPTOCOCCUS HUMICOLA INHIBITS DEVELOPMENT OF LESIONS IN GOLDEN DELICIOUS APPLES

One strategy to reduce postharvest losses of fruits to pathogens is to introduce organisms with biological control capabilities. Our objecti ve was to determine the effectiveness of two yeast isolates in inhibit ing lesion development caused by Botrytis cinerea (Be) on freshly harv ested apples differing in maturity. 'Golden Delicious' apples were har vested on 29 Aug., 23 Sept., and 10 Oct. 1995. Apples receiving the se ven treatments [control, wound, Cryptococcus humicola (Ch), Sporobolom yces roseus (Sr), Be, Ch + Bc, Sr + Bc] were placed in plastic boxes w ith damp paper towels. Each day for 7 days, ethylene production and le sion diameter at the wound were recorded. Ethylene production was not affected by treatment, and increased with later harvest date. Lesion d iameter on apples treated with Be was smaller on the first harvest tha n on the second and third harvests. Sr provided partial control on the second and third harvests, and Ch completely inhibited lesion develop ment except for day 7 of the third harvest.