NEW MICROBIAL ANTAGONISTS TO CONTROL POST HARVEST DISEASES

An investigation was undertaken to identify new antagoinstic mi­croorganisms, on the surface of fruits and vegetables, against post har­vest pathogens. Washings from apple, orange, banana, lemon, avocado, date, kiwi fruit, cucumber, cauliflower, and broccoli surface were placed in fresh apple wounds and subsequently challenged with Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium expansum. Subsequently, individual isolations were made from frequently occurring microbial colonies in wounds where rot didn't develop. Three of these yeast isolates (SE-243, SE-244, SE-245) ob­tained from cucumber, date, and avocado proved to be potentially ef­fective antagonists against post harvest pathogens. Those isolates were identified as Candida oleophila (SE 244) Montrocher and Candida guilie­mondii (Castellani) Langerson and Guerra (SE-243 and SE-245).