Brazil is considered to be the biggest citrus producer and orange juice exporter. Post-harvest diseases represent a great loss in the citriculture, and for many fruits to be exported they should be free of chemical residues. In relation to some pathogens of importance in post-harvest, it can be mentioned Penicillium digitatum (green-mold) and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (anthracnose). Because of the economical importance of these diseases for citric fruits, in terms of compromising quality and control difficulties, the search for alternative control measures that can make possible to improve the producing capacity of the producers and the obtaining of fruits with excellent quality are indispensable. Therefore, it was studied the viability of the control of post-harvest diseases in Valência orange fruits (Citrus sinensis) by using the biotic agents flavedo (Citrus auratifolia cv. Tahiti), Lentinula edodes, Agaricus subrufescens (syn. Agaricus brasiliensis), albedo (Citrus sinensis cv. Valência) and the abiotic agent jasmonic acid. It was possible to observe that the aqueous extracts from the flavedo (C. aurantifolia) inhibited the pathogens in Valência orange fruits when treated in post-harvest, based upon symptom and sporulation reduction. On the other hand, the albedo (C. sinensis), L. edodes, A. subrufescens and jasmonic acid had no effects on P. digitatum and C. gloeosporioides in the fruits.
Penicillium digitatum; Colletotrichum gloeosporioide; Agaricus blazei; Lentinula edodes; Agaricus subrufescens; albedo; Citrus sinensis; jasmonic acid
