A yeast-like fungus and sugar beet extract could tackle grey mould in strawberry production, reducing the industry’s reliance on synthetic fungicides.
In research led by Mudassir Iqbal at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, two concentrations of the beneficial fungus Aureobasidium pullulans and the extract were tested as a spray application over two years in open fields.
A. pullulans had previously shown great potential in controlling grey mould, which is caused by Botrytis cinerea, in greenhouse environments, and so it also proved outdoors.
Iqbal observed that all three biological control treatments reduced grey mould prevalence and increased the fruits’ shelf-life post-harvest. However, the highest concentration of A. pullulans (107 colony forming units per millilitre) produced the best effect and resulted in a 53% higher fruit production compared to a control treatment where the plants were sprayed with tap water.
Beet a budget option?
Previous studies had shown that A. pullulans can controlrotting in several different fruits, such as kiwi, cherries and tomato, while scientists had reported sugar beet extract proving useful in controlling late potato blight, caused by the fungus-like microorganism Phytophthora infestans.
While the underlying reasons for sugar beet extract’s action against grey mould remain unknown, it’s low price and high production capacity could make it appealing to growers, explained Iqbal in Journal of Plant Pathology.
Longer post-harvest life a priority
“The improved shelf-life found in this study is important because food loss due to postharvest grey mould development in sales boxes is a very big economic and ecological problem, and even minor improvements in shelf-life can reduce food loss and increase revenue considerably,” he wrote.
On top of the longevity advantages, the increase in fruit production seen when using the highest concentration of A. pullulans suggests that it could also act as a growth promoter for strawberries, he noted.
“The development of A. pullulans as a reliable and efficient biological control agent could be an important step to catalyse a shift from chemical fungicides to sustainable biocontrol for strawberry,” added Iqbal.
“Given the current heavy dependence on fungicides, such a development would be an important contribution to reach the European Commission’s Green Deal goals for 2030.”
