Postharvest Biological Control of Citrus Fruit

摘要

Economical losses due to postharvest decays are very important worldwide, and fungicides are the primary means to control these losses. Public concern in food safety and the increase of pathogen resistant population has enhanced the interest in developing alternatives fungicides to control postharvest fruit diseases. The research in biological control using antagonistic microorganisms has been developed as an important food safety alternative. Biocontrol of postharvest products has the advantage to be in a controlled environment which can be manipulated to favor the biocontrol agent. Actually there are already in the market three biofungides to control postharvest diseases of fruits, including citrus fruit. It is likely that several more products will enter the market in the near future, as the result of the biological control research programs worldwide. The development of a biocontrol system requires several steps in order to isolate, test and select a potential biocontrol agent. Bioassays at a pilot and commercial scale must be addressed; the antagonistic mechanism of the microorganism has to be understood. For commercial application, biocontrol agent has to be produced and formulated at an industrial scale, maintaining its biocontrol activity.This paper presents an overview of postharvest biological control approaches especially of citrus fruit and explores new possibilities of research to improve biocontrol activity.