The harvest of Rio Red grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf.) was “intercepted” at three stages: 1) unpicked fruit, 2) picked and carried to pallet box trailer, and 3) picked, carried, dumped in the pallet box and transported to the packing shed. Three harvesters picked fruit from four canopy locations on two trees each. At each intercept, half the fruit was dipped into a spore solution of green mold (Penicillium digitatum) and half left nontreated as controls. Intercept 1 fruit was dipped and left unpicked on the tree. After 10 days incubation, the rate of green mold infection and its location on the fruit was determined. Tests were run in May 1995 and Feb. and Apr. 1996. The rate of infection increased with each intercept, and treated fruit had 15 times the infection rate of the controls. The highest infection rate, 1.3%, occurred in May 1995 followed by Feb. (0.8%), and April (0.5%). Most infection sites appeared above and below the fruit's equator, rather than on its top or bottom exclusively. There were no effects associated with harvesters or the location of the fruit in the canopy.
Pseudomonas Isolates as Potential Biofungicides of Green Mold (Penicillium Digitatum) on Orange Fruit
