Effect of Alternative Products against Green Mold in Postharvest of Oranges (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck)

Considering the viability and the antimicrobial potential of secondary metabolites synthetized by plants, this work aimed at evaluating the effect of natural vegetal products on orange green mold. Fruits of orange, naturally infected with P. digitatum, were submitted to fumigation with 2mL of essential oil of Citrus aurantium ssp. bergamia and Citrus aurantium ssp. sinensis and also to immersion in citric extracts at a concentration of 2% and 4% (fruits immersed in distilled water constituted the control treatment). The treated fruits remained in room conditions (25 i‚± 2ÂoC and 85 i‚± 5% R.H.) for a period of 12 days. By analyzing the results, we observed lower incidence of the pathogen over the fruits that were submitted to treatments with natural products, being that treatments with citric extract at 2% and 4% and the treatment with essential oil of C. aurantium ssp. sinensis did not differ significantly among them, but there was a significant different among them and the treatment with essential oil of C. aurantium ssp. bergamia, which differed from the control treatment, with relation to the incidence (83.33%) and severity (30.20%) of the disease. All treatments caused a high percentage of control (higher than 94.41%), differing significantly from the control treatment (59.06%).