Keywords
salicylic acid
strawberry
incidence
methyl jasmonate
How to Cite
Abstract
Botrytis cinerea rot is the main cause of post-harvest losses in strawberries. For this reason, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of pre- and post-harvest applications of salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) on the incidence of B. cinerea in strawberry fruit. The experiment was divided into two stages. In the first stage, applications of the fungicide Fontelis®, 4 and 6 mM SA, and water (as the Control), in flowering cv ‘3128’ strawberry plants, at 7-day intervals. The fruits were harvested on day 28. In the second stage, fruits were treated post-harvest with 4 and 6 mM SA, 0.05 and 0.10 mM MeJA, and their respective Control. In both stages, the incidence of B. cinerea and quality parameters were measured. After 12 days of storage, the pre-harvest application at 4 and 6 mM SA reduced the incidence of B. cinerea by up to 11.4 % compared to control fruit. Meanwhile, the post-harvest application of 0.10 mM MeJA and 4 and 6 mM SA reduced the incidence of the disease by 12.76 %. Additionally, pre- and post-harvest applications of SA and MeJA delayed signs of senescence and maintained quality parameters for up to 12 days. In conclusion, phytohormone treatments are a sustainable alternative to fungicides for controlling the development of Botrytis cinerea, extending shelf life, and maintaining the quality of strawberry fruit.
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