Evaluation of hot water and GRAS salt solutions for the control of postharvest gray and green molds of pomegranate fruit

Abstract

Gray and green molds, caused by the fungi Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium spp., respectively, are among the most important postharvest diseases of pomegranate fruit in Spain. Although the synthetic fungicide fludioxonil is allowed for postharvest use since 2019, disease control methods alternative to agrochemicals are preferred, especially in pomegranate export markets, due to health and environmental issues associated with chemical residues. In this work, the disease control ability of dips in hot water (20, 40, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, and 75 ºC) or aqueous solutions of GRAS (generally recognized as safe) salts (PS, potassium sorbate; SC, sodium carbonate; SBC, sodium bicarbonate; SB, sodium benzoate; all at 3% (w/v)) was evaluated using ‘Mollar de Elche’ pomegranates artificially inoculated with the pathogens B. cinerea or P. sclerotiorum.