Innovations in the control of postharvest diseases of fresh fruits and vegetables

الملخص EN

The establishment of Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area (EMFTA) in 2010 is expected to accelerate trade growth in different fields, including the market in fresh fruit and vegetables from south, south-east Mediterranean countries to foreign countries.

In this context, effective cold chain and management practices of fresh produce are required, also considering that safety is an additional prerequisite for market entry.

Traditionally, chemical fungicides have been used effectively by exporters to ensure high quality of fruits and vegetables over extended periods of storage or transportation.

However, the increased global chemophobia and the reduced efficacy of chemicals due to pathogen resistant strains, have forced producers to evaluate more safe alternatives for controlling postharvest diseases in a context of sustainable agriculture.

Several means, such as natural compounds of animal and plant origin, organic and inorganic salts, antagonistic microorganisms, elicitors to induce natural host defenses, physical means as ultraviolet illumination, hypobaric pressure, hot water, modified atmosphere and packaging, and integrated control strategies, represent some of the approaches recently evaluated, and to some extent already applied, to ensure top fruit quality.

This review deals with the substantial progress obtained by researchers in the use of alterative control means, also taking into account constraints and obstacles still making difficult their large diffusion and practical application.