Editorial: Post-harvest Diseases of Fruit and Vegetable: Methods and Mechanisms of Action

Postharvest losses of fruit and vegetables are very high and sometimes reach 50% and more in some developing countries due to pathological and physiological deterioration (Smilanick et al., 2006). This loss is due to inappropriate handling and lack of right methods and means to prevent diseases. Fruits and vegetables are susceptible to severe losses caused by several plant pathogenic fungi including Botrytis cinerea. Alternaria alternata, Penicillium italicum, P. digitatum, P. expansum, Monilia fructicola, M. laxa, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Rhizopus stolonifer, Botryiodiplodia theobromae etc., after harvest. Chemical fungicides are the primary means to control such diseases. However, several constrains have limited their use including fungicide resistance, market pressure regarding residues and concerns of environmental and human health (Hashim et al., 2019). In this context, safe alternative means to control postharvest diseases of fruits and vegetables are needed to be developed (Lachhab et al., 2015; Salem et al., 2016). Several investigations have documented the strong antimicrobial activity of various alternatives including biological control using antagonistic microorganisms, physical methods such as low temperatures, modified and controlled atmospheres, heat, and irradiation, and generally regarded as safe (GRAS) substances such as salts, sanitizers, plant extracts, and essential oils. Also, many efforts have been done to understand their mode of action to improve their use, especially at large scale in the field.