Comparison of Decay Control Strategies in California Lemon Packinghouses. Marc N. Bancroft, Technical Service Manager, FMC Corporation, Lindsay, CA 93247. Philip D. Gardner, Assistant Professor, Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside 92521; Joseph W. Eckert, Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside 92521; and John L. Baritelle, Economist, ERS, USDA, Boyden Entomological Laboratory, University of California, Riverside 92521. Plant Dis. 68:24-28. Accepted for publication 12 July 1983. Copyright 1984 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-68-24.

Strategies for control of thiabendazole-resistant strains of blue and green mold (Penicillium italicum and P. digitatum) were evaluated in three lemon packinghouses in central California. Packinghouse layout and sanitation significantly influenced the size of the population of thiabendazole-resistant spores and the level of decay in lemons shipped to East Coast markets. Effective strategies involved isolation of sources of fungicide-resistant strains, disinfestation of contaminated equipment and containers, and a program for monitoring the level of fungicide resistance in the packinghouse.