Control of Postharvest Diseases of Fruit by Heat and Fungicides: Efficacy, Residue Levels, and Residue Persistence. A Review

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry Vol. 59; no. 16; pp. 8531 - 8542
• Main Authors: Schirra, Mario, D’Aquino, Salvatore, Cabras, Paolo, Angioni, Alberto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 24-08-2011
• Subjects: active ingredients; Biological and medical sciences; biological control; chemical compounds; chilling injury; cold storage; Cold Temperature - adverse effects; Food industries; Food Preservation - methods; Fruit - chemistry; Fruit and vegetable industries; fruit diseases; fruit quality; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; fungicide residues; fungicides; Fungicides, Industrial - administration & dosage; heat; heat treatment; horticultural crops; Hot Temperature; Pesticide Residues - analysis; postharvest diseases; shelf life; therapeutics; Water; postharvest decay; fungicide residues; cold storage; heat treatments; Temperature; Heat treatment; Cold; Fruit; Pesticides; Postharvest; Environmental factor; Review; Postharvest disease; Fungicide; Persistence; Heat; Warehousing; Residue; Food preservation
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/jf201899t

Extensive research has been done in recent years to reduce the heavy dependence on chemical fungicides to control postharvest diseases and disorders of horticultural crops. Alternative strategies were based on improved cultural practices, biological control, plant-defense promoters, and physical treatments such as UV illumination, radiofrequency treatment, heat therapy, and storage technologies. Among these, postharvest heat treatments such as hot water dips, short hot water rinsing and brushing, and hot air conditioning have reduced rot development and enhanced fruit resistance to chilling injury in sensitive cultivars while retaining fruit quality during cold storage and shelf life. Additive or synergistic increases in effectiveness were observed by integrating heat therapy with various chemical compounds, thus leading to significant reductions in the application of active ingredients to protect produce from decay. This paper highlights the knowledge on this topic with emphasis on heat therapy effects and factors affecting the uptake, persistence, and performance of fungicide residues when they are applied in combination with hot water.