ARS | Publication request: Commercial applications and future prospects for the use of biological control after harvest

Submitted to: COST International Congress Abstracts
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: March 5, 2007
Publication Date: January 1, 2008
Citation: Janisiewicz, W.J. 2007. Commercial applications and future prospects for the use of biological control after harvest. COST International Congress Abstracts COST action 924, pgs 8-17, dtd 3-5 May 2007.

Technical Abstract: Biological control of postharvest diseases celebrated its first decade of commercial use last year. In the United States, BioSave is the only product that is currently being used. The original registration for postharvest application to pome and citrus fruits was expanded to include cherries, potatoes, and recently, sweet potatoes. This product has been formulated as frozen pellets and as a wettable powder (WP). It can be applied to produce in various ways including drenching entire bins of fruit, a bath dip on a packing line, as a drip with brushes, in flooding boxes, or a mist spray during pileup in the case of potatoes. It is also compatible with waxes. Quality control and the continuous search for new applications have been the keys to the success of this product. Current expansion of postharvest biocontrol is focused on adaptation to small orchard operations and on broadening its use by combining with GRAS substances and other non-fungicidal methods. Potential uses also include application to mechanically harvested fruit and use as a precautionary measure against the growth of foodborne human pathogens on intact and fresh cut produce. Genetic manipulation of biocontrol agents can improve biocontrol and may provide valuable insights into the potential of biocontrol agents. In addition, yeasts or bacteria, able to colonize fruit wounds, can be converted to biocontrol agents by transforming with foreign gene(s) responsible for antifungal activity. Although this approach is still controversial, it reveals the potential of this biotechnology to address various limitations of biocontrol agents.