Control of post-harvest decay of apples by pre-harvest and post-harvest application of ammonium molybdate

• Published in: Pest management science Vol. 57; no. 12; pp. 1093 - 1099
• Main Authors: Nunes, Carla, Usall, Josep, Teixidó, Neus, Eribe, Xavier Ochoa de, Viñas, Immaculada
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.12.2001; Wiley
• Subjects: Agriculture; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; ammonium molybdate; Biological and medical sciences; blue mould; Botrytis - drug effects; Botrytis - growth & development; Botrytis - metabolism; Botrytis cinerea; cold storage; Cold Temperature; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungal plant pathogens; Fungi - drug effects; Fungi - growth & development; Fungi - metabolism; fungicide; Fungicides, Industrial - pharmacology; General agronomy. Plant production; grey mould; Harvesting. Postharvest. Storage; Imidazoles - pharmacology; Malus - drug effects; Malus - metabolism; Malus - microbiology; Malus domestica; Molybdenum - pharmacology; Pathology, epidemiology, host-fungus relationships. Damages, economic importance; Penicillium - drug effects; Penicillium - growth & development; Penicillium - metabolism; Penicillium expansum; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Plant Diseases - microbiology; pome fruit; Potassium Compounds - pharmacology; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds - pharmacology; Rhizopus - drug effects; Rhizopus - growth & development; Rhizopus - metabolism; Rhizopus stolonifer; Salts - pharmacology; Spores - drug effects; Spores - physiology; Time Factors; Vegetative propagation. Sowing and planting. Harvesting; Southern Europe; Europe; Spain; Fungicidal effect; Plant pathogen; Botrytis cinerea; Mycosis; Phycomycetes; Rosaceae; Malus domestica; Postharvest disease; Fungi; Refrigerated storage; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Chemical control; Mould; Fruit tree; Fungi Imperfecti; Thallophyta; Application time; Rhizopus stolonifer; Pome fruit; Stored food product; Infection; Penicillium expansum; Apple; Storage; Spermatophyta; Ammonium Molybdates; Lesion; Conidia
• ISSN: 1526-498X; 1526-4998
• DOI: 10.1002/ps.402

Ammonium molybdate was tested as a potential fungicide for use in apples (cv Golden Delicious) against blue and grey mould, important post‐harvest diseases of pome fruits. In tests in vivo at 20 °C, ammonium molybdate (15 mM) reduced lesion diameters of Penicillium expansum, Botrytis cinerea and Rhizopus stolonifer by 84%, 88% and 100% respectively. When apples treated with ammonium molybdate were stored at 1 °C for three months, a significant reduction in severity and incidence of P expansum and B cinerea was observed in both years of study (1998 and 1999). In the second year of the experiment the reduction in disease severity was greater than 88% for both pathogens, and the level of control was similar to, or greater than, that observed with the fungicide imazalil. When ammonium molybdate was applied as a pre‐harvest treatment, a significant reduction in blue mould decay was observed after three months in cold storage. In vitro, ammonium molybdate greatly inhibited spore germination of P expansum and B cinerea, although better inhibition was obtained against grey mould. Ammonium dimolybdate, sodium molybdate and potassium molybdate were also tested in vitro in comparison with ammonium molybdate as inhibitors of spore germination, but only ammonium molybdate inhibited spore germination by more than 50%. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry