The Effects of Postharvest Treatments and Sunlight Exposure on the Reproductive Capability and Viability of <i>Phyllosticta citricarpa</i> in Citrus Black Spot Fruit Lesions

Abstract

Citrus black spot (CBS) is caused by Phyllosticta citricarpa, which is classified as a quarantine organism in certain countries whose concerns are that CBS-infected fruit may be a pathway for introduction of the pathogen. This study evaluated the reproductive capability and viability of P. citricarpa under simulated conditions in which the whole fruit, peel segments, or citrus pulp with CBS lesions were discarded. Naturally infected ‘Midknight’ Valencia orange and ‘Eureka’ lemon fruit, either treated using standard postharvest sanitation, fungicide, and wax coating treatments or untreated, were placed into cold storage for 5 weeks (oranges at 4 °C and lemons at 7 °C). Thereafter, treated and untreated fruit were incubated for a further 2 weeks at conditions conducive for CBS symptom expression and formation of pycnidia. The ability of pycnidia to secrete viable pycnidiospores after whole fruit and peel segments or peel pieces from citrus pulp were exposed to sunlight at warm temperatures (±28 °C) and ±75% relative humidity levels was then investigated. The combination of postharvest treatments and cold storage effectively controlled CBS latent infections (>83.6% control) and pycnidium formation (P. citricarpa.

Keywords

• CBS
• pycnidiospores
• dispersal
• control
• fungicide
• wax