A Ali1, T Wee Pheng1, M A Mustafa1. 1. Centre of Excellence for Postharvest Biotechnology (CEPB), School of Biosciences, The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Semenyih, Malaysia.
Abstract
AIMS: To evaluate the potential use of lemongrass essential oil vapour as an alternative for synthetic fungicides in controlling anthracnose of papaya. METHODS AND RESULTS: Lemongrass oil used in the study was characterized using gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) before it was tested against anthracnose of papaya in vitro and in vivo. The GC-FID analysis showed that geranial (45·6%) and neral (34·3%) were the major components in lemongrass oil. In vitro study revealed that lemongrass oil vapour at all concentrations tested (33, 66, 132, 264 and 528 μl l(-1) ) suppressed the mycelial growth and conidial germination of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. For the in vivo study, 'Sekaki' papaya were exposed to lemongrass oil fumigation (0, 7, 14, 28 μl l(-1) ) for 18 h and at room temperature for 9 days. Lemongrass oil vapour at the concentration of 28 μl l(-1) was most effective against anthracnose of artificially inoculated papaya fruit while quality parameters of papaya were not significantly altered. CONCLUSIONS: This suggests that lemongrass oil vapour can control anthracnose disease development on papaya without affecting its natural ripening process. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The potential practical application of this technology can reduce reliance on synthetic fungicides for the control of postharvest diseases in papaya.
AIMS: To evaluate the potential use of lemongrass essential oil vapour as an alternative for synthetic fungicides in controlling anthracnose of papaya. METHODS AND RESULTS:Lemongrass oil used in the study was characterized using gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) before it was tested against anthracnose of papaya in vitro and in vivo. The GC-FID analysis showed that geranial (45·6%) and neral (34·3%) were the major components in lemongrass oil. In vitro study revealed that lemongrass oil vapour at all concentrations tested (33, 66, 132, 264 and 528 μl l(-1) ) suppressed the mycelial growth and conidial germination of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. For the in vivo study, 'Sekaki' papaya were exposed to lemongrass oil fumigation (0, 7, 14, 28 μl l(-1) ) for 18 h and at room temperature for 9 days. Lemongrass oil vapour at the concentration of 28 μl l(-1) was most effective against anthracnose of artificially inoculated papaya fruit while quality parameters of papaya were not significantly altered. CONCLUSIONS: This suggests that lemongrass oil vapour can control anthracnose disease development on papaya without affecting its natural ripening process. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The potential practical application of this technology can reduce reliance on synthetic fungicides for the control of postharvest diseases in papaya.