2018 ASHS Annual Conference

Postharvest losses of strawberries and other horticultural small fruits is estimated to be as high as 25% due to disease, dehydration and over ripeness, resulting in economic losses to farmers and consumer dissatisfaction. Both physiological and environmental factors contribute to the limited storage life of fresh fruit particularly when the fruit becomes overripe and begins to show symptoms of disease. In this study, a series of volatile monoterpene and ethyl phenols known for their antimicrobial properties were tested to determine their growth inhibitory effects on the fungus Botrytis cinerea (gray mold) , the most common postharvest spoilage organism in strawberry. In a two-factor three-level experimental design, compounds were tested at 3 concentrations and 3 temperatures (4, 10 and 22C) for growth inhibition of a pure culture of B. cinerea, and for disease incidence of strawberry fruit inoculated with the fungus. The experiment was conducted in Magenta boxes with the volatile phenol compounds applied at specific concentrations to filter paper discs fixed to the inner lid. The concentration of volatile phenols in the box was determined by SPME-HS using a Shimadzu TQ8040 GC-MS. Results indicated that fungal growth inhibition and fruit disease incidence were correlated with the vapor pressure of the volatile phenolic compounds tested.