Efficacy of Postharvest Application of <i>Aureobasidium pullulans</i> to Control White Haze on Apples and Effect on the Fruit Mycobiome
2024
Giulia Remolif | Giada Schiavon | Marco Garello | Davide Spadaro
White haze, an emerging disorder caused by extensive fungal growth on the apple surface, results in a compromised fruit quality and decreased marketability. The use of biological control agents could be an interesting tool to reduce its development. This work aimed to test the efficacy of two <i>Aureobasidium pullulans</i> strains (AP2 and PL5) in controlling white haze on stored apples. An <i>in vivo</i> trial was conducted by inoculating fruits with white haze causal agents (<i>Entyloma belangeri</i>, <i>Golubevia pallescens</i>, <i>Tilletiopsis washingtonensis</i>) and treating them with the antagonistic yeasts. Three commercial biofungicides were also included in the trial. Both <i>A. pullulans</i> strains, along with the <i>Metschnikowia fructicola</i>-based product, reduced white haze incidence after 110 days of storage at 1 ± 1 °C and after 7 days of shelf life. Furthermore, the effect of <i>A. pullulans</i> application on the fruit fungal microbiome was assessed. A significant impact of apple matrix and treatment on the mycobiome composition was observed. Analyses showed a good colonization of <i>A. pullulans</i> on the treated apples, both epiphytically and endophytically. A decrease in white haze-related fungi abundance was observed in the treated fruits. Additionally, a reduction of <i>Ramularia</i> spp. and modifications in the abundance of other fungal genera were detected after storage and shelf life.
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