ChileanJAR

The physico-:-chemical control of Penicillium digitatum Sacc. was studied on Genova lemons cold stored during either 50 days or 4 months, before being subyected to room temperature. The fungicides were applied by dipping the fruit, during 2 to 3 minutes, in water at 48º C, containing sode ash in a dosis of 200 g/10 It. Other treatments included were: non inoculated fruit dipped in pure water at 48º C; wounded and inoculated fruit, dipped and not dipped; a check, without inoculation, and check inoculated, without wounds. The 2 last treatments were handled with great care during harvest, to avoid damages on the fruit rindo.
Tecto, Cercobin and Benlate proved to be the most effective fungicides for 50 days of cold storage, with and without 10 more days at room temperature. Topane éxhibited the highest percentage of rotting, among thetreatments with fungicides.
A significant increase of the percentage of rotting was found with the treatments with four months in cold storage, followed or not by 10 days at room temperature, including the fruit treated with fungicides. Tecto showed the best control followed by Benlate, Cercobin and Topane.
A careful post harvest handling gave lower loss percentages th;m treatments with wounded fruit, subyected later to any chemical treatment.
Neither hot water at 48º C nor soda ash, controlled the fungus.