Influência da temperatura e do período de molhamento na expressão da podridão da coroa causada por Fusarium, em bananas na pós-colheita

Abstract

Banana (Musa spp.) is one of the most cultivated fruit species in the world. Its importance in feeding millions of people makes banana farming one of the main economic activities of agribusiness in tropical countries. However, postharvest banana losses can reach 40% of production and much of this percentage is due to pre- and postharvest fungal infections that cause fruit spots and rot. Optimal temperature and humidity conditions are major factors in the development of the disease. One of the main diseases affecting banana fruits is crown rot, which is caused by a fungal complex, among which are several Fusarium species. From this perspective, the objective was to investigate the influence of temperature and wetting period on the expression of crown rot caused by Fusarium sp. in postharvest banana fruits. For this purpose, five different temperatures and seven wetting periods were tested to evaluate the severity of the disease caused by a Fusarium strain (LPPC 133) from the Embrapa Tropical Agroindustry Postharvest Pathology Laboratory. Temperatures varied according to the influence on crown rot expression caused by Fusarium. Higher temperatures were found to be more significant for disease expression. The wetness periods showed no variation in the influence on the expression of crown rot caused by Fusarium sp. and the fruits had similar symptom levels. This proves that there is no difference, related to the time of contact with humidity, for the expression of the disease. To continue the study of Fusarium sp., strain LPPC 133, DNA extraction and sequencing should be performed to identify the pathogen at the species level.