wjpls, 2022, Vol.

8, Issue 5, 122-125 Research Article ISSN 2454-2229

Darade et al. World Journal of Pharmaceutical

Worldand LifeofSciences
Journal Pharmaceutical and Life Science
WJPLS
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POST HARVEST DISEASES OF VEGETABLES AND FRUITS

Shivanee Mohod and Maruti S. Darade*

Department of Botany Govt.Vidarbha Institute of Science and Humanities, Amravati – 444604 (M.S.), India.

Corresponding Author: Maruti S. Darade

Department of Botany Govt.Vidarbha Institute of Science and Humanities, Amravati – 444604 (M.S.), India.

Article Received on 07/03/2022 Article Revised on 27/03/2022 Article Accepted on 17/04/2022

ABSTRACT
The investigation constitutes of the post harvest fungal diseases of vegetables and fruits. A survey of post harvest
diseases of different vegetables and fruits were carried out from the study site of a village There were 10 fungal
diseases reported on different vegetables like Onion, Tomato , Potato and Carrot. The vegetable diseases were
found caused by fungal pathogens like Aspergillus, Fusarium, Botrytis, Pythium, Sclerotium, Helminthosporium
etc. The study of post harvest diseases of fruits like Citrus, Mango, Banana and Papaya were reported in the study.
The fruits diseases was found caused by fungal pathogens like Penicillium, Alternaria Colletotrichum, Aspergillus
,Fusarium , Erwinia etc. The symptoms of post harvest diseases were also observed and reported.

KEYWORDS: Post harvest diseases, Vegetables, Fruits, Fungal pathogens, Symptoms.

INTRODUCTION pathogens attempts were made to study different types of

fungal diseases.
The deterioration of vegetables and fruits are caused due
to fungal pathogens .The fungal disease can be caused to
MATERIALS AND METHODS
plants before harvesting or after harvesting .The diseased
plant produce is not suitable for consumption and Site of study
marketing purpose. The fungal infections may occur The Kalwadi village is located in Akot Tehsil of Akola
through surface wounds which may be formed due to district in Maharashtra state of India. The study site
mechanical injury. The vegetables have a significant role situated 6 km away from Akot and 52 km from Akola.
in enhancing income, sustainable food and nutritional The total geographical area of village is about 693.6
security. The Vegetables may get suffered from hectares. The site is located at 21.0567 oN and 77.0672oE
pathogens of fungal or bacterial categories.[1] The .The diseased samples of different vegetables and fruits
Postharvest loss of vegetable may be from 30 to 40% due were collected from the site .The study area constitutes
to poor post harvesting and storage practices.[2] The of cultivated field of several types of vegetable and fruit
Postharvest diseases causes qualitative and quantitative plants.
loss of vegetables and fruits The disease make them unfit
for consumption due to health risks. A fungi yields Collection of Sample
carcinogenic mycotoxins and mutagenic secondary The disease infected vegetables and fruits were picked
metabolites.[3] The factors affecting post-harvest losses of up and collected in polythene bags The samples were
fruits and vegetables vary from place to place and varied brought to the laboratory. The symptoms of disease were
environmental conditions The yield loss may occur observed carefully and the same was noted.
during harvesting, handling, packing, storage and
transportation and delivery. The fungal infection Isolation of fungal pathogens
decreases the market value of produce and thus hampers The fungal pathogens were isolated from diseased part of
economy the grower.[4] The decay of vegetables and vegetable and fruits. The infected tissues were allowed to
fruits may start from germination seeds to flowering and grow on PDA culture media in petridishes. After the full
fruit set The blemished vegetables and fruits are not growth of mycelium and reproductive bodies the same
eaten or sold commercial market. The yield loss depends was stained in Cotton blue and mounted in lacto phenol
upon the susceptibility of host plant and resistance to on clean glass micro slide.
fungal pathogen.
Identification fungal pathogens
Considering the importance of vegetables and fruits for The temporary preparation of slide was observed under
sound health and loss of yield brought due to fungal compound microscope The identification of fungal

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Darade et al. World Journal of Pharmaceutical and Life Science

pathogens were made on the basis of somatic structure 1) Grey mold disease
fruiting bodies, asexual and sexual reproductive It is a post harvest disease caused by a fungal pathogen
structures. The keys was used for identification of fungal Botrytis cinerea. The disease develops during the
pathogens. processing of vegetables and fruits .The condition of
rain, heavy dew or fog are responsible for disease
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION initiation and development The symptoms of the disease
are seen in the form of watery lesions with light brown to
In the present investigation a survey of postharvest
tan coloured central region which contains dark brown
diseased vegetables and fruits were carried out. The
specks..The affected area is converted into a soft watery
vegetables like Onion, Tomato, Potato and Carrot was
mass .The greyish mycelium and spores were observed
screened for the fungal infection and symptoms
in the infected tissues.
developed thereof (Table 1).The symptoms of different
diseases and their causal organism were recorded as
follows.

Table 1: Post harvest diseases of Vegetables.

Name of the Name of the
S.N. Scientific Name Causal Organism
Plant Disease
1 Onion Allium cepa Black mold rot Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum
2 Tomato Solanum lycopersicum Grey mold Botrytis cinerea, Botryotinia fuckeliana
3 Tomato Solanum lycopersicum Watery soft rot Sclerotinia spp.
4 Tomato Solanum lycopersicum Cottony leak Pythium spp.
5 Potato Solanum tuberosum Dry rot Fusarium spp.,Gibberella spp.
6 Potato Solanum tuberosum Black scurf Rhizoctonia solani, Thanatephorus cuvumeris
7 Potato Solanum tuberosum Silver scurf Helminthoporium solani
8 Potato Solanum tuberosum Skin spot Polyscytalum pustulans
9 Carrot Daucas carrota Grey mold Botrytis cinerea
10 Carrot Daucas carrota Watery soft rot Sclerotium rolfsii

2) Black mold disease storage condition The disease shows dry and dark spots
This disease is caused by a fungus Aspergillus niger The on the peel or skin which later becomes sunken and
fungal pathogen potentially produces toxins in the wrinkled with irregular concentric rings. These spots
produce. The black powdery mass of spores is produced shrinks and brusts out.The internal tissues become brown
on exterior part of onion bulb and among the scales of with cavities filled with white tufts of mycelium. The
bulbs. The infection affects on the scales and that rotting progress into the whole potato tuber and become
becomes dry and papery. dry, hard and shrivelled.

3) Dry rot disease

The disease is caused to potato by a fungal pathogen
Fusarium solani The potato tubers is affected during

Table 2: Post harvest diseases of Fruits.

Name of the Name of the
S.N. Scientific Name Causal Organism
plant Disease
1 Citrus Citrus spp. Blue mold Penicillium italicum
2 Citrus Citrus spp Green mold Penicillium digitatum
3 Citrus Citrus spp Brown rot Phytophthora citrophthora and P. parasitics
Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Glimerella
4 Mango Mangifera indica Anthracnose
cingulata.
5 Mango Mangifera indica Rot Phomopsis mangiferae, Pestalotiopsis mangiferae
6 Mango Mangifera indica Grey mold Botrytis cinerea, Botryotinia fuckeltiana
7 Banana Musa paradisica Anthracnose Colletrichum musar
8 Banana Musa paradisica Crown rot Fusarium, verticillium, Colletotrichum musae
9 Papaya Carica papaya Anthracnose Colletotrichum spp.
10 Papaya Carica papaya Black rot Phoma caricarpapayae, Mycosphaerella caricae,

A survey of postharvest diseases of fruits was carried out found affected with blue mold, green mold brown mold,
in the study area. The diseases of fruits like Citrus, Anthracnose, crown rot and black rot (Table 2). The
Mango ,Banana and Papaya were studied The fruits were symptoms and causal organism were studied as follows.

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Darade et al. World Journal of Pharmaceutical and Life Science

1) Anthracnose disease disease infection and development brings about

It is a post harvest disease caused by fungal pathogen physiological malfunctioning in the plant body. The
Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. The disease is mechanical injury favours the fungal infection. The
developed on leaves, stems, young flowers and fruits. fungal disease affects on the quality and quantity of
Initially the sunken black spits appear on the surface of vegetables and fruits The careless handling of vegetable
the fruit during ripening. The disease is developed during and fruits during harvesting, storage, packing and
the wet and cold weather. The carbon and nitrogen are transportation affects on the quality of produce.The
responsible for the growth and sporulation of fungus. fungal infection may takes place before harvesting or
after harvesting .The environmental factors such as
2) Green and blue mold disease temperature, humidity, and pollution also promotes the
The disease is developed on the fruit of lemon. It is disease infection and development. The fungal pathogen
caused by a fungal pathogen Penicillium digitatum. The causes destruction of living tissues and promotes decay
diseased fruit shows soft and damaged tissues. Initially and degradation. The infection of vegetables and fruits
white fungal growth appears on the fruit which later can be traced at the time plant growth flowering,
becomes blue or green. The disease is developed on harvesting and in storage.
damaged part of the fruit The temperatures affects on the
disease infection and development. The Penicillium Future Perspective
digitatum is an important postharvest pathogen of citrus The loss of vegetables and fruits takes place due to lack
which is brings significant loss.[5] of knowledge related to harvesting, handling, packaging,
transportation and storage .The exposure of plant
3) Anthracnose disease produce to direct sunlight, high temperature condition,
The disease is caused by a fungal pathogen lack of low-temperature storage facilities plays a key role
Colletotrichum musarum. The disease symptoms appears in yield loss.The random and rough handling of produce
on the ripen fruits of banana The fruit shows black rotten during marketing affects on the quality and quantity of
pustules or spots. The spots may become irregular or vegetables and fruits. The plant growers must know
circular specks on the skin These spots become sunken about the disease infection, appearance, identification
and coalesce to form large spots. The severely infected and control. The temperature management is required to
fruits become dark due to blemishes. The conidial mass control the post harvest diseases. The cooling methods
appears on the infected area The light brown depressed like hydro cooling, ice packaging, top icing, evaporative
lesion coalesces and covers the whole fruit. cooling, room cooling may be beneficial to control the
loss of produce. The management strategies would be
4) Anthracnose disease helpful in prevention and eradication of disease .The
It is a post harvest disease caused by a fungal pathogen management strategy may be in terms of cultural,
Colletotrichum .The disease occurs on the papaya fruit at physical, chemical, biological practices. The use of
field and storage conditions. The symptoms of the disease resistant varieties may be helpful to avoid loss of
disease show discoloration of the skin. There develop produce .The postharvest technology would be helpful in
circular and sunken areas. The conidial mass is meeting global demands of vegetables and fruits.
developed on the infected lesions.
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