Department of Plant Pathology PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Research Article
Plant Essential Oils Were Used to Characterize and Control Post-Harvest Fungal Infections in Peaches
Author(s): Gull-e-laala Khan*, Gulshan Irshad, Farah Naz and Ashfaq Ahmed Hafiz
Post-harvest fungal pathogens are major threat to food industry, deteriorating the quality of perishable fruits from handling, transportation and distribution to consumption. Half of the production of peaches lost annually due to the prevalence of post-harvest fungal diseases worldwide. The present study was intensively designed to investigate the post-harvest fungi associated with peach. The most common spoilage fungi isolated and identified were Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus stolonifera and Penicillium expansum. The highest percentage of infection was recorded in fruits with street sellers, local fruit shops and the smallest one was recorded in storage houses after harvesting. In-vitro experiment against post-harvest spoilage fungi was directed by using plant essential oils extracted from native herbs by Clevenger type apparatus. Essential oils are natural biocide against postharvest .. View more»