A Case Study: Use of Prestop^® Mix Biofungicide in Entomovectoring on Apple Against Storage Rot Diseases

Abstract

Prestop^® Mix biofungicide developed by Verdera Oy contains Gliocladium catenulatum strain J1446 isolated from Finnish field soil. It has good efficacy against many fungal pathogens. The product can be delivered by pollinators and this entomovectoring method is already in commercial use in berry farms in the control of grey mould. In this case study Prestop^® Mix vectored by honeybees was tested on apple against core rot caused by Fusarium avenaceum and Botrytis cinerea, which infect the plant through blossoms. Field trials were carried out during 2013–15 in a commercial apple orchard in Finland. Flower analysis showed that Gliocladium was successfully transported by bees from the microbial dispenser of the hive to blossoms, where the control microbe efficiently colonized the florasphere. It was also detected that the occurrence of the pathogen in flowers was remarkably reduced by the antagonist. Field trials continued as storage tests. The results after storage periods of 2–4 months demonstrated that this honeybee-assisted Prestop^® Mix method controls core rot and suppresses certain other storage diseases of apple as well.