Suppression of Green and Blue Mold in Postharvest Mandarin Fruit by Treatment of Pantoea agglomerans 59-4

In order to control postharvest spoilage of satsuma mandarin fruits, rhizobacteria were isolated from soil samples. The Pantoea agglomerans strain 59-4 (Pa 59-4) which suppresses the decay of mandarin fruit by green and blue mold, was tested for the control efficacy and its mode of action was investigated. Pa 59-4 inhibited infection by green and blue mold on wounded mandarins, which were artificially inoculated with a spore suspension of Penicillium digitatum and P. italicum with control efficacies of 85-90% and 75-80%, respectively. The biocontrol efficacy was increased by raising the concentration of cells to between 108 and 109 cfu/ml, and pretreatment with the antagonist prevented subsequent infection by green mold. The population of Pa 59-4 was increased more than 10 fold during the 24 hr incubation at 20oC, indicating that colonization of the wound site might prevent the infection by green mold. Despite poor antifungal activity, the Pa 59-4 isolate completely inhibited the germination and growth of P. digitatum spores at 1 × 108 cfu/ml. We argue that the control efficacy was mediated by nutrient competition. Overall, the effective rhizobacterium, Pa 59-4, was shown to be a promising biocontrol agent for the postharvest spoilage of mandarin fruits by green and blue mold.