The present study comprised five trials to investigate the efficacy of postharvest treatment with electrolyzed oxidizing (EO) water on postharvest disease development in avocado. Mature (dry matter 24–34%), hard green fruit cv. Hass (four trials), and cv. Wurtz (one trial) from orchards receiving minimal fungicide sprays were sourced, and subsequently dipped for 30 s in treatment solutions. Fruit were ripened at 23 °C and 65% relative humidity to encourage postharvest disease development, and assessed when ripe for anthracnose and stem end rot (SER), arising from natural field infections and/or the size of lesions resulting from post-treatment inoculation with Colletotrichum siamense. In the case of natural infection, EO water treatment reduced severity of SER disease by 30–75% compared with water treated control fruit in all four trials where it was assessed. Reduction in severity of SER after Graduate A+ fungicide or hypochlorite (NaOCl) bleach treatment ranged from 60–88% or 25–50%, respectively, compared with water controls. Under extremely high anthracnose disease pressure, 20% v/v EO water, NaOCl, as well as Graduate A+ fungicide treatments were mostly ineffective. Treatments in the final trial were applied as overhead sprays in an experimental-scale packing line to simulate commercial conditions. This was the only trial where anthracnose (as well as SER) was significantly reduced in fruit by 20% v/v EO water (12–35%) and Graduate A+ (34%) compared with water control. In two trials with C. siamense-inoculated fruit, anthracnose lesion size was reduced by 68–85%, and 90–100% by 20% v/v EO water and Graduate A+, respectively, compared with water-treated fruit. Fruit firmness and the number of days to ripen were mostly not affected by the treatments. This study demonstrates the potential for electrolyzed oxidizing water to be incorporated into integrated management programs for postharvest diseases of avocado, and possibly other fresh produce.
Horticultural produce, especially fruits and vegetables, are rich sources of phytochemicals, namely vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Currently, controlling quality and assuring safety of fruits and vegetables in supply chain has become one of the most challenging issues in Bangladesh. Often consumers are dissatisfied with the poor quality produce due mainly to the sub-standard postharvest handling practices. Side by side, the issue of food safety has been emerged as the most serious threat in the context of nutrition security and public health of the country. There are huge concerns over the use of harmful chemicals during production and postproduction stages. The main concerns are related to the presence of heavy metals, chemical residues and microbial contamination. Hence, immediate interventions are needed to stop any malpractice during production and marketing of fruits and vegetables. The recently introduced Food Safety Act 2013 and Formalin Control Act 2014 are two important steps from the Government of Bangladesh to deal with this deep-rooted concern. Apart from laws, various training and awareness programmes are needed so that the relevant stakeholders adopt improved practices to maintain quality and safety of produce along the supply chains. Consumption of good quality, nutritious and safe fruits and vegetables can only be assured if quality and safety control can be ensured at the production (manures, fertilizers, waters, pesticides, plant growth regulators, etc.) and postproduction (during harvesting, sorting, grading, washing, packaging, transporting, storing, processing and marketing) stages. Since, the problem is interdisciplinary and complex, there should have strong coordination among the various groups in the society including producers, traders, processors, policymakers, law enforcing agencies, researchers, physicians, civil society representatives, and other relevant GOs and NGOs in order to prevent the malpractice and improve the quality and safety situation in the horticultural chains of Bangladesh.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/ralf.v1i1.22346 Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.1(1): 1-11, Dec 2014
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