MICROBIAL CONTROL OF POSTHARVES DECAY IN TROPICAL FRUITS

THE AIM OF THIS PROJECT IS TO IDENTIFY MICROORGANISMS CAPABLE OF PREVENTING POSTHARVEST DECAY IN TROPICAL FRUITS CAUSED BY PLANT PATHOGENIC FUNGI. ECOSCIENCE HAS DEMONSTRATED SUCCESS IN THE MICROBIAL CONTROL OF POSTHARVEST FUNGAL DECAYS IN POME FRUITS. WE WILL BUILD ON THIS EXPERIENCE TO DISCOVER AND DEVELOP MICROBIAL CONTROL AGENTS THAT CAN PREVENT INFECTION (E.G., CROWN ROT OF BANANA) OR INHIBIT DEVELOPMENT OF LATENT INFECTIONS (E.G., ANTHRACNOSE OF MANGO) IN TROPICAL FRUITS. MICROBES THAT WOULD HAVE WOUND COLONIZATION COMPETENCY AND ABILITY TO PREVENT FUNGAL-INDUCED DECAY WILL BE SELECTED. INITIAL SCREENING WILL ASSESS, I) ABILITY TO COLONIZE THE WOUND SITE AND MAINTAIN A POPULATION SUPPRESSIVE TO THE PATHOGENIC FUNGI, II) POPULATION DYNAMICS IN WOUNDS AS A FUNCTION OF TEMPERATURE AND PATHOGEN PROPAGULES, III) CARBON UTILIZATION PROFILES CONSISTENT WITH WOUND EXUDATES OF THE TARGET FRUIT (PHASE II). SCREENING FOR ABILITY TO PREVENT DECAY WILL INVOLVE DIRECT CHALLENGE ASSAYS. THE ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP BIOLOGICAL REPLACEMENTS FOR THE SYNTHETIC FUNGICIDES CURRENTLY IN USE. THIS APPROACH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO GENERATE A BASE TECHNOLOGY WITH MULTIPLE SPIN-OFF PRODUCTS FOR TROPICAL FRUITS AS WELL AS VEGETABLES.