Unravelling The Role of Aspergillus Japonicus in Post-Harvest Decay and Quality Loss of Papaya (Carica Papaya L.) C.V. Coorg Honey Dew (Research Article)

Author(s): Rajesh Ranjan, Ravi Shankar Singh and H.K. Chourasia

Abstract: The pod rot caused by post-harvest fruit rot reduces the shelf life and quality of papayas (Carica papaya L) under tropical conditions. The objective of this study was to isolate, identify, and characterize the fungal pathogen related to the post-harvest fruit rot of the papaya cv. Coorg Honey Dew as well as to assess its effect on the quality of the fruits from Eastern Bihar. The pathogen was isolated on potato dextrose agar (PDA), and was identified using morphological characteristics as an Aspergillus species. Molecular confirmation was done by performing PCR amplification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA (~500 bp), and sequencing and performing BLAST analysis of the pure fungal pathogen causing papaya fruit rot, Aspergillus japonicus. Pathogenicity tests showed that infected fruits displayed soft rot-type symptoms, and that infected fruits had greater lesion development and sporulation than uninfected fruits. In addition, infection resulted in 96% weight loss of fruit during storage after 30 days of storage and significant declines in physicochemical parameters such as the amount of ascorbic acid, total soluble solids, and titratable acidity. These results indicated rapid metabolic degradation and severe post-harvest quality loss due to fungal infection; therefore, Aspergillus japonicus was determined to be an important post-harvest pathogen of papayas found in Eastern Bihar, highlighting the need for enhanced postharvest production management strategies.

PAGES: 9-17  |  63 VIEWS  25 DOWNLOADS