Productivity, biocontrol and postharvest fruit quality of strawberry cultivar ‘Clery’ using plant growth promoting microorganisms

Abstract

AbstractStrawberry is the most economic important soft fruit in the world, and its production is susceptible to orchard and postharvest losses due to its high susceptibility to fungal diseases. In the last two decades, new agricultural techniques, which include application of plant growth promoting microorganisms, have been developed. Their activity is reflected in improving root volume and nutrient uptake from the soil, increased fruit yield and quality, and as an alternative to the use of synthetic fungicides in protection of disease and insects. In this study an effects of the three microbiological preparations on phenological and productivity of plants, chemical and physical properties of the fruits, and the control of B. cinerea on strawberry were studied. Total marketable fruit yield per plant ranged from 0.38 kg (control) to 0.57 kg (Fitohelp). The plants treated with T. harzianum had the highest fruit mass (34.2 g) at the first harvest, while Fitohelp-treated plants had the highest fruit mass (24.3 g) at the second harvest. The decrease in fruit mass and firmness after storage were 3.5% (Bacterie) to 9.1% (control), 10.1% to 35.2% (T. harzianum), respectively. The highest efficacy in controlling B. cinerea in storage fruits was obtained with the combination of synthetic fungicides and Fitohelp (92.86%). Plants treated with Fitohelp and T. harzianum had significantly higher values of yield of marketable fruits, while a combination of conventional fungicides and preparations based on B. subtilis was most effective in control of B. cinerea.

Keywords

• Botrytis cinerea
• fruit quality
• harvest
• storage
• yield
• Tejada Manuel, Cristalografía, Mineralogía y Química Agrícola, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain