Abstract

A trial was carried out to compare the effectiveness of Thymus capitatus essential oil and thiabendazole (TBZ) on postharvest disease control of cv. "Avana" mandarin fruit. Fruits were sprayed with a 10⁶ conidia/ml suspension of Penicillium digitatum and exposed to subatmospheric pressure (0.8 bar) in 250 litre containers. After 24 hours, atmospheric pressure was re-estabilished and fruits were stored at 8°C, 90 % R.H. While TBZ was used as a 1000 ppm water suspension before applying subatmospheric pressure, T. capitatus essential oil was fumigated as an ethanolic solution (20 ppm) immediately after. Fruits sprayed and treated with T. capitatus vapour compared to those sprayed, not treated, at subatmospheric pressure showed a 30.1 % reduction in green mold, while TBZ application gave a 39.1 % reduction. Thymus capitatus essential oil caused no injury in flavedo of ripe fruits. In vitro assays showed the minimum inhibiting concentration (MIC) and fungicide rate were 100 and 200 ppm respectively, for PDA cultures and wounded peels, both inoculated with 10 μl of a 10⁶ conidia/ml suspension of P. digitatum.

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