Effect of Imazalil on Pathogenicity of Penicillium spp. Causing Storage Rots of Pome Fruits. Dov Prusky, Department of Fruit and Vegetable Storage, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, P.O.B. 6, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel. Ruth Ben-Arie, Department of Fruit and Vegetable Storage, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, P.O.B. 6, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel. Plant Dis. 69:416-418. Accepted for publication 8 October 1984. Copyright 1985 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-69-416.

Imazalil failed to control storage rot of pome fruits caused by Penicillium spp. when the compound was first introduced into commercial use. Isolates of Penicillium obtained from decayed, treated fruit were pathogenic and almost four times less sensitive to imazalil than was the common storage rot fungus, Penicillium expansum. These isolates, identified as P. crustosum, could not compete with P. expansum unless imazalil was present but caused fruit decay when imazalil at 500 μg a.i./ml of water treatment or water plus diphenylamine was applied to harvested fruit.

Keyword(s): biological imbalance.