ALI A. ALSUDANI*
Environmental Research and Pollution Prevention Unit, College of Science, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Iraq
*(e-mail: ali.alsudani@qu.edu.iq; Mobile: +964 79015 78435)
(Received: August 2, 2022; Accepted: December 13, 2022)
ABSTRACT
During harvesting, transportation and storage, apples (Malus domestica Borkh) are exposed to scratches,
which facilitate the process of fungi entering the healthy tissues of the fruit and rotting it and causing great economic losses. This study was aimed at finding alternatives (biological treatments) to preserve local apple fruits from infection with fungi and contamination with their toxins. Isolation and diagnosis of 92 fungal isolates belonged to six fungal genera Alternaria sp. 6/92 (6.52%), A. alternata 12/92 (13.04%), Aspergillus flavus 7/92 (7.60%), A. niger 5/92 (5.43%), A. ochraceus 6/92 (6.52%), A. terreus 5/92 (5.43%), Penicillium sp. 8/92 (8.69%), P. expansum 18/92 (19.56%), P. italicum 10/92 (10.86%), Fusarium sp. 6/92 (6.52%), Mucor sp. 4/92 (4.34%) and Rhizopus stolonifer 5/92 (5.43%). All filter concentrations of T. harzianum and T. viride had a significant inhibitory effect on the radial growth of P. expansum, A. alternata and P. italicum compared to the control treatment. The rates of colony diameters at the concentration of 15% ranged between (11.13-12.71) mm with inhibition percentage ranging between (85.87-87.63) for T. harzianum treatment and between (12.85-13.66 mm) with inhibition percentage ranging between (84.82-85.72) for T. viride treatment.
Key words : Apple fruit rot, P. expansum, biological treatments, T. harzianum, T. viride