Inhibitory influence of inorganic salts on banana postharvest pathogens and preliminary application to control crown rot

Abstract

Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Thielaviopsis paradoxa, Colletotrichum musae, C. gloeosporioides, Fusarium verticillioides, and F. oxysporum were screened in vitro for sensitivity to Na₂CO₃, NaHCO₃, CaCl₂, NaCl, and NaClO. The spore germination of all pathogens was completely inhibited by Na₂CO₃ 4 g/l, NaClO 5 g/l, and NaHCO₃, CaCl₂, and NaCl 6 g/l each. Dipping the bananas for 10–15 min in these concentrations reduced the incidence of crown rot (compared with the untreated fruits) 17 days after harvest in fruits treated with NaClO by 67%, with NaHCO₃ by 62%, with NaCl by 38%, and with CaCl₂ by 33%. Na₂CO₃-treated fruits had the same incidence of crown rot as untreated fruits.