Plant Disease Research
Year : 2023, Volume : 38, Issue : 1
First page : ( 71) Last page : ( 75)
Print ISSN : 0970-4914. Online ISSN : 2249-8788.
Article DOI : 10.5958/2249-8788.2023.00005.7

Efficacy of chitosan against Penicillium digitatum causing post-harvest green mould in Kinnow

Rautela Ambika^*, Kaur Amrinder, Bohra Yogita

Department of Plant Pathology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004

^*E-mail- ambikarautela@pau.edu

Online Published on 28 August, 2023.

Abstract

Citrus post-harvest green mould caused by Penicillium digitatum is an important fungal disease which causes serious losses during storage and transit. In the present study, in-vitro anti-fungal activity of chitosan against P. digitatum was studied using poisoned food technique to calculate per cent mycelial inhibition of the pathogen and fruit dip treatment method to calculate per cent disease incidence and per cent rot reduction. In poisoned food technique potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates amended with chitosan concentrations 0.25%, 0.50% and 0.75% were used as treatments and PDA plates without chitosan treatment were kept as control. Results showed that all three concentrations of chitosan significantly inhibited mycelial growth as compared to control. At 0.50% and 0.75% chitosan concentration, 100% inhibition of P. digitatum was recorded. In case of chitosan 0.25% concentration the fungal colony diameter of 3 cm was recorded which showed 66% mycelial inhibition. Also, the results of fruit dip treatment revealed that all chitosan treatments significantly reduced disease incidence compared to the control, with Chitosan 0.75% being the most effective, showing 0% incidence after 5 days and 13.33% after 7 days. The per cent rot reduction (PRR) was recorded highest (91.31%) in case of chitosan 0.75% followed by chitosan 0.50% where 69.56% rot reduction was recorded which was significantly higher as compared to control (0%). Hence the results conclude that chitosan completely inhibited the growth of P. digitatum at both concentrations of 0.50% and 0.75%. The study suggests use of chitosan @ 0.75% as promising and effective treatment to control kinnow post-harvest green mould.

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Keywords

Kinnow, Green mould, Penicillium digitatum, Chitosan.

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