Green solutions and new technologies for sustainable management of fungus and oomycete diseases in the citrus fruit supply chain

Abstract

This review deals with major diseases caused by fungi and oomycetes in the citrus supply chain, including post-harvest fruit diseases, and summarizes the strategies and techniques that may be adopted to prevent the damages and losses they cause. Its scope is to highlight the contribute that smart technologies provide towards new solutions for sustainable and safe management strategies of these diseases. Particular attention is given to the application of biopesticides, natural substances, resistance inducers and biostimulants to prevent fruit rots. The review focuses also on mycotoxins and mycotoxigenic fungi that contaminate fresh fruit and food products derived from citrus fruit, an aspect that has been little investigated and regulated so far. An additional relevant aspect addressed by the review is the early detection and routine diagnosis of fungal and oomycete pathogens that threat the international trade and long-distance shipment of citrus fruit, with a particular emphasis on quarantine pathogens. In this respect, the opportunities offered by new practical, rapid, sensitive and robust molecular diagnostic methods are briefly discussed.

Biological Control of Green Mold in Simulated Post-harvest Chain of Citrus Fruit: Efficacy ofCandida oleophilaStrain O and Molecular Insight into Elicitation of Host Immune System

“…The primary and globally prevalent postharvest challenge impacting citrus fruit is the green mold caused by Penicillium digitatum (Abo-Elnaga, 2013;Kanan and Al-Najar, 2008;Plaza et al, 2004;Rovetto et al, 2023Rovetto et al, , 2024, a destructive disease accounting approximately 90% of total post-harvest losses (Costa et al 2019;Ismail and Zhang, 2004). This disease causes considerable damages on major commercial citrus crops, specifically oranges (Elsherbiny et al, 2021), lemons (Ben-Yehoshua et al, 2008), tangerines (Suwannarach et al, 2015), and grapefruit (Shi et al, 2018).…”

“…Within a few days, the infection progresses to complete molding of the fruit. Simultaneously, the pathogen develops a substantial quantity of green airborne conidia on the fruit surface, serving as a source of inoculum for new infections (Costa et al, 2019; Ismail and Zhang, 2004; Rovetto et al, 2024; Vu et al, 2018).…”

“…This disease causes considerable damages on major commercial citrus crops, specifically oranges (Elsherbiny et al, 2021), lemons (Ben-Yehoshua et al, 2008), tangerines (Suwannarach et al, 2015), and grapefruit (Shi et al, 2018). The citrus green mold is caused by a wound-mediated infection of the fruit peel (Rovetto et al, 2024). At early stages, the infection appears as a softened area of the peel surrounding the infection point (La Spada et al 2021); this symptom, known as ’Clear Rot’ (Ismail and Zhang, 2004), creates conducive conditions for the development of white mycelium and triggers the rapid decay of fruit.…”

Soil Microbial Communities in Lemon Orchards Affected by Citrus Mal Secco Disease

“…The disease causes leaf and shoot chlorosis, wilting of leaves, and leaf fall. The shoots, branches, and trunk show basipetal desiccation until the death of the plant [2][3][4][5]. When the fungus penetrates through wounded roots without any external symptoms at first, it can persist for several years in the inner layers, and the disease initially progresses very slowly ("mal nero" syndrome).…”